The House of Representatives has asked the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to reconsider new mobile-phone verification requirements, warning that compliance costs could raise handset prices and leave legitimate used phones blocked from networks.
The resolution, adopted Thursday after a motion by Sani Wakili, a lawmaker from Kano State, directs the NCC to consult industry stakeholders and simplify a framework that took effect on October 7.
The rules require newly imported SIM-enabled devices to be verified through the regulator’s Device Management System and Central Equipment Identity Register, which track phones using their International Mobile Equipment Identity, or IMEI, numbers.
Lawmakers said the additional compliance burden could fall hardest on small importers and retailers, which may pass the expense to consumers.
That, they warned, could make phones less affordable for low-income Nigerians who rely on them for communication, education, banking and commerce.
The House also flagged the risk that technical errors, database mismatches or flaws in scanning systems could wrongly reject or block lawful devices—especially in Nigeria’s large second-hand phone market, where used handsets are a cheaper alternative for many consumers.
The NCC has described the system as an enforcement tool against counterfeit, cloned, stolen and unapproved devices. Under the framework, devices that are not registered or verified may be prevented from operating on Nigerian mobile networks; the commission says the system uses device identifiers only and does not access users’ communications.
Businesses can submit individual or bulk IMEI records through the regulator’s verification portal, while consumers can check a device’s status by dialing *315# or using the NCC’s Device Checker service.
The House instructed its Committees on Communications and Commerce to engage the NCC and other stakeholders and report back within four weeks for possible legislative action. Its Committee on Legislative Compliance will monitor implementation of the resolution.
The dispute highlights a broader tension for regulators across emerging markets: cracking down on illicit devices while preserving affordable access to smartphones, which have become gateways to digital banking, online learning and government services.
