Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, don tell Nigerians wey wan buy phone, especially second-hand handset or one wey dem import from abroad, say before money change hand, make dem dial *315# and confirm say the phone fully verified for Nigerian networks. The commission talk say buyers fit also use the device checker for im website to know whether a phone get type approval and whether dem verify am for use on mobile networks inside Nigeria.
NCC Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Eduyemi Ogoh, yarn this one for Newsnight on Arise Television. Im word: “Before you buy the phone, dial *315# and confirm that the phone is fully verified before you pay.” Ogoh talk say the check dey important well-well for people wey dey buy second-hand phone or device wey dem bring from abroad.
According to am, NCC bring the checker to carry out im statutory work under Nigerian Communications Act 2003, protect consumers, and answer complaints about poor network service wey people link to mobile devices. “The whole intent of [type approval] is to ensure that every device coming into the country is genuine and works the way it should work,” na so Ogoh talk. He add say consumers suppose get confidence say the money wey dem dey spend dey go genuine device, no be “an old phone device that is fake or an imitation of the real thing.”
Ogoh talk say the commission don find say some complaints about service quality dey come from the devices wey consumers dey use. Phone wey no get approval or wey no dey work properly fit affect the person wey hold am and other people for the same area, e add.
To run the check, buyer go dial *315# and follow prompt to enter the phone International Mobile Equipment Identity, IMEI, wey be unique number dem assign to each mobile device. Ogoh talk say buyer fit check IMEI before paying, including by asking the seller to give am the number. But e warn say if device fail the check, e no mean say the phone must be counterfeit.
Type approval, according to am, na laboratory testing of one phone model to make sure say e meet the standards and fit work properly on Nigerian networks. Verification, on the other hand, na confirmation say dem don register one particular device on NCC device checker system using im IMEI. Ogoh talk say dem dey do type approval only once per model, and na manufacturers, vendors or importers get the work to obtain am, no be buyers.
E also talk say the enhanced compliance process apply to devices wey dem bring into the country from October 7. Devices wey already dey operate on Nigerian networks by midnight on October 6 don onboard and verify. NCC talk say e don register about 231 million of such devices.
