Nigeria Moves to Register Mobile Phones by IMEI, Raising Cost and Access Concerns

Nigeria is moving to register mobile phones through their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) numbers under a Device Management System being implemented by the Nigerian Communications Commission.

Under the framework, SIM-enabled devices must be registered before they are sold or connected to Nigerian mobile networks. The NCC has said phones that are not duly registered will not be permitted to operate on those networks.

The system is intended to create a central record of devices in the country and improve oversight of phones entering the market. It is also designed to help identify stolen, cloned and unapproved devices while strengthening enforcement of type-approval requirements.

How the registration process will work

Licensed importers will be required to obtain NCC type approval, upload device IMEI numbers and purchase invoices to the DMS portal, pay a validation charge and obtain a pre-authorisation QR code.

The Nigeria Customs Service is expected to verify the QR code for duty assessment before a device is whitelisted for use on Nigerian networks. Customs has said it is working with the NCC on implementation.

The first phase covers existing stock as well as devices imported from the start of the rollout. The NCC has provided a window for businesses to register existing inventory and regularise their status before full enforcement. Officials involved in the rollout said existing stock would not be charged the device-validation fee during the onboarding period.

The fees discussed by the NCC include ₦670 per IMEI for lower-cost and feature devices and slightly more than ₦3,700 per IMEI for high-end devices. A definitive date for full enforcement has not been provided.

Oversight and privacy questions

Edoyemi Ogoh, the NCC’s director of technical standards and network integrity, said the registry would help the commission enforce type-approval requirements more effectively and ensure that devices imported, sold and used in Nigeria meet required standards.

The commission has also said that the system will store device information, including IMEI numbers, but will not give it access to phone contents or private communications.

A spokesperson for the Nigeria Customs Service said the system could close loopholes that allowed devices to enter Nigeria without proper declaration. An official involved in stakeholder discussions claimed that many importers do not declare the full number or value of devices entering the country, although that claim requires independent confirmation through Customs data.

Diseye Isoun, chief executive of Content Oasis, questioned whether the DMS is addressing several different issues through one mechanism. He said Nigeria already has a relatively effective SIM-registration regime and argued that existing telecom structures could provide information about the phones, models and brands being used without additional intervention.

“This battle of importers is not a battle for NCC to fight,” Isoun said, arguing that under-declaration should primarily be handled by agencies responsible for imports and border controls.

Possible effects on prices and smaller businesses

The new requirements could create additional compliance work for licensed importers, retailers, repair technicians, refurbishers and small-scale traders. Some small dealers bring phones from markets in Dubai or China in personal luggage, while informal supply networks may operate without complete documentation.

A senior official involved in stakeholder engagements, who requested anonymity, said retailers feared importers would pass on more than the official validation charge. The official said an importer paying ₦3,700 for a device could add ₦15,000 or ₦20,000 to its retail price.

Reported handset prices have also risen across budget, mid-range and premium segments. However, the available information does not establish that the DMS caused those increases, and enforcement had not begun. Inflation, foreign-exchange movements, component costs, shipping, taxes, logistics and weak purchasing power have also been identified as factors affecting prices.

Questions remain over how rejected shipments will be handled, how used phones with unclear import histories will be treated and who would bear losses if a device were blocked mistakenly or because it carried a cloned IMEI. Legitimate repairs that alter a device’s IMEI could also create complications.

More than 140 million Nigerians lived in areas with 3G, 4G or 5G coverage but did not use mobile internet in 2025, according to GSM Association research cited in the report. That figure has heightened concern that higher device costs or new compliance barriers could affect access to mobile connectivity.