Subscribers Not Required To Submit International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) Number – NCC

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, said its attention has been drawn to several media publications to the effect that the Commission will require Nigerians to submit the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) of their phones to it from July, 2021.

Reacting to the news making the rounds, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs, NCC, said, “At no time did the Commission issue a Statement regarding the registration of IMEI by subscribers and it has no plans to do so”.

“The reports in question have emanated from a section of the Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration recently launched by President Muhammadu Buhari and which has been uploaded on the Commission’s website.”

“It is pertinent to state that the Commission is in the process of deploying a Devise Management System (DMS). The DMS will essentially protect subscribers against phone theft and will identify and enable the elimination of fake devices from the networks. The system will capture IMEI automatically without any requirement for subscribers to submit same.”

“The general public is advised to disregard the said publications, which have created the erroneous impression that telephone subscribers will be required to register their IMEI with their networks” the NCC concluded.