The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced that residents and citizens would have to submit the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), their phone identities to the agency in July.
This was detailed in the commission’s revised National Identity Policy for SIM card registration.
The move has the blessings of President Muhammadu Buhari.
The policy reads in part: “Accordingly, His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, has directed that the Device Management System should be implemented within three months.
“With the aim to curtail the counterfeit mobile phone market, discourage mobile phone theft, enhance national security, protect consumer interest, increase revenue generation for the government, reduce the rate of kidnapping, mitigate the use of stolen phones for crime, and facilitate blocking or tracing of stolen mobile phones and other smart devices, one of the means to achieve this is through the deployment of Device Management System.
“The implementation of a Centralised Equipment Identity Register otherwise known as Device Management System will serve as a repository for keeping records of all registered mobile phones’ International Mobile Equipment Identity and owners of such devices.
“IMEIs that have been reported as either stolen or illegal will be shared through the DMS to all the operators and service providers.”
The IMEI number is a mobile phone’s fingerprint or unique identity. It is a 15-digit number unique to each phone.
The IMEI number or phone identities which are unique to each phone help in tracking stolen phones, irrespective of the SIMs in these phones.
With this move, the NCC would have all of the information of all Nigerians in its database, including the National Identification Number (NIN) whose enrolment is ongoing.
