BEVERLY HILLS, May 21, (THEWILL) – The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has dissociated itself from news making the rounds earlier in the day that subscribers would have to take the pain to register their International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI).
The commission said such registration was unnecessary as such phone data would be automatically captured by a Device Management System that it planned to deploy.
The commission’s explanation was contained in a statement on Friday by its Director, Public Affairs, Ikechukwu Adinde.
Adinde was reacting to media reports that the commission had in its Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration asked that Nigerians submit the IMEI of their phones to it from July.
He explained that the DMS to be deployed will essentially protect subscribers against phone theft and will identify and enable the elimination of fake devices from the networks.
The statement read, “The attention of the Nigerian Communications Commission has been drawn to several media publications to the effect that the Commission will require Nigerians to submit the International Mobile Equipment Identity of their phones to it from July, 2021.
“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 Device Management System. 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 the same.”
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