President Buhari orders Nigerians to submit device IMEI numbers

IMEI: His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that the Device Management System should be implemented within three months – NCC

IT News Nigeria:

The Nigerian Communications Commission has said President Muhammadu Buhari has directed that the Device Management System should be implemented within three months.

The IMEI number is the mobile phone’s fingerprint. It is a 15-digit number unique to each phone. With the IMEI number, a phone can be tracked and located irrespective of the cellular number in it.

The Commission said in line with this directive, NCC will have Nigerians submit the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI )of their phones to it from July.

NCC stated this its Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration.

It added that this is part of NCC’s move to start the implementation of the Device Management System (a Centralised Equipment Identity Register) backed by Presidency.

“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.