The House of Representatives has known as on the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to think about a assessment of its lately introduced cell phone gadget verification necessities.
The new framework, carried out via the Device Management System and the Central Equipment Identity Register, allows the identification and verification of cellphones and different SIM-enabled gadgets utilizing such gadgets’ International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers.
The House’s name was borne out of worries that the coverage could induce cellphone value improve, probably resulting in wrongful rejection or blocking of legitimately used gadgets.
The decision on Thursday was fallout of a movement by Sani Wakili, looking for that NCC to assessment the gadget verification framework in session with different related stakeholders.
He stated the improved verification necessities, which took impact on October 7, 2026 “impose compliance obligations on newly imported devices and could increase operating costs for importers and retailers.”
According to him, the extra prices may very well be handed on to shoppers “through higher prices, making mobile phones less affordable, particularly for low-income Nigerians who depend on them for communication, education and business.”
He additionally identified the concern of potential technical errors, database mismatches and limitations within the fee’s scanning and verification programs, which may end in official gadgets being unintentionally rejected or blocked.
