Manufacturers are releasing more mobile phones to the Nigerian market in order to satisfy the rising demand. As of April 2023, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved a total of 2,112 mobile phones for sale in the country.
The devices, which are of various brands and models, are those that have been evaluated and approved by the telecoms regulator in order to be sold to Nigerian consumers.
As of January of this year, the NCC had authorized 1,961 mobile phones. This indicates that mobile manufacturers received sanction for 151 new phone models in the past two months.
The most recent type-authorized phone data seen by Nairametrics indicates that Chinese mobile manufacturers continue to dominate the country’s mobile market in terms of approved devices. Tecno led the field with over 300 approved phone models.
Why approval is required
Prof. Umar Danbatta, the Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, recently cautioned Nigerians against purchasing any phone that has not been certified for sale by the regulatory body.
Danbatta, disapproving of the prevalence of counterfeit handsets in the country, remarked:
“The threat posed by counterfeit and substandard handsets has reached a global scale, necessitating extensive consumer education and collaboration with other government agencies to combat it.
“Cases of influx and patronage of counterfeit handsets are more prevalent in developing nations, such as Nigeria, where importers bring in substandard phones without recourse to the regulatory type-approval process designed to certify such devices as market-ready,” he said.
The industry
As of February 2023, the United States had over 226 million active mobile subscriptions, making it a veritable market for mobile manufacturers worldwide. This has resulted in an influx of mobile manufacturers into the nation.
In accordance with the Nigerian Communications Act of 2003, the NCC is tasked with establishing and enforcing standards for all telecommunications apparatus in Nigeria to ensure that it operates seamlessly and securely within the Nigerian telecommunications environment. Nevertheless, despite regulatory efforts, thousands of unapproved phone brands continue to be sold throughout the nation.
Even though the unapproved phones are typically substandard or counterfeit, they sell more quickly due to their lower prices.
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