The Nigerian Communication Commission, NCC has issued a severe warning to mobile phone vendors and dealers to desist from buying and selling unapproved devices in the country, Nigeria.
News About Nigeria reports that Emilia Nwokolo, the Director of the Consumer Affairs Bureau of the Commission, while speaking at a sensitization programme at the Abuja GSM Village, sent out the warning to the sellers at the market, or else they would get into trouble.
According to Mr. Nwokolo, a dedicated Consumer Affairs Bureau within the NCC is responsible for monitoring and enforcement.
She said: “First of all, before you bring in telecom devices, you have to seek approval from NCC, so we have to check it, and if it is okay, we go ahead and type approved it. There is already a fine actually if you are caught selling Non-type approved devices.’’
She stated that the commission established the Bureau in 2001 to inform, educate and protect telecom users.
In February 2023, the NCC conducted a sensitization campaign to warn consumers against using unapproved devices. The commission also announced strict penalties for marketers who sell fake devices to Nigerians.
Following this, NCC’s team apprehended Yahaya Ado of Gezawa Communications Limited for selling counterfeit Gionee devices. The NCC cautioned that unapproved devices can compromise user experience, leading to losses and discomfort.
Mallam Salisu Abdu, the NCC’s Head of Enforcement, expressed concern about the proliferation of counterfeit and non-type approved phones in the GSM Market on Beirut Street, Kano.
Here is a list of unapproved phones in Nigeria
- Gionee branded phones with model numbers G800 and L990;
- H-Mobile phones with model numbers it5606+ and H351
- FoxKong with model numbers F30 and F300
- KGTEL phones with model numbers K2160 and KG1100.
