Isa Pantami’s Led Ministry of Communication Orders Nigerians To Submit Phone Tracking ID Number(IMEI) From July

The Nigerian Communication Commission has asked Nigerians to submit the International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) Number of their phones effective from July.

This directive was contained contained in the Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration published by the Commission.

The Commission stated that all network providers will be required to cross-check all phones International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) and status on a proposed Centralized Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) otherwise known as Device Management System (DMS) before allowing a device to become active on their network.

Explaining further, the regulatory body said the move was manadatory to curtail the counterfeit mobile phone market, discourage mobile phone theft, enhance National Security, protect consumer interest, increase revenue generation for the government, reduce rate of kidnapping, mitigate the use of stolen phones for crime, and facilitate blocking or tracing of stolen mobile phones and other smart devices.

“The implementation of a Centralized Equipment Identity Register (CEIR) otherwise known as Device Management System (DMS) will serve as a repository for keeping records of all registered mobile phones’ International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI) and owners of such devices.

“IMEIs that have been reported as either stolen or illegal will be shared through the DMS to all the operators and service providers. The purpose is to ensure that such devices do not work even if different SIM Cards are inserted in those devices”.

The Revised Policy publication also noted that the President, Muhammadu Buhari has directed “that the Device Management System should be implemented within three months.

This means any Nigerian who failed to comply will be unable to make calls, send text messages, or use the internet except through WiFi.

More about IMEI…

IMEI (International Mobile Equipment Identity) is a unique number for identifying a device on a mobile network. You can think of it as your phone’s social security number. It has 15 digits and is assigned to every mobile phone.

The IMEI number comes in handy when your handset gets lost or stolen. No, it won’t magically bring the phone back to you, but you can make sure whoever found or stole it won’t be able to use it. Your carrier can blacklist a device based on its IMEI number and can contact other carriers to do the same. This means the phone won’t be able to make/receive calls anymore or connect online via the cellular network, even with a new SIM card.

An IMEI number also comes in handy when buying a used phone. With the help of a service like CheckMend, you can check whether the phone you’re interested in has been reported lost, is blacklisted, was subject to an insurance claim, and more. The service isn’t free, but it is affordable, setting you back just a dollar.

The IMEI number also reveals loads of other details about a phone. These include the brand and model, year of release, and specifications.

Now that you know what is IMEI, let’s take a look at how to find it. The easiest way to check IMEI on an Android phone is to dial *#06#, after which the number should appear on your screen. If you have a dual-SIM Phone you’ll see two IMEI numbers — one for each SIM slot. You can also check IMEI in the settings of your device by heading to About device > Status > IMEI information, although the path may differ depending on your handset.

Additionally, some phones have the IMEI number printed on the back, while on others, you’ll find it under the removable back cover this mainly applies to older phones, as most of the newer ones don’t have a removable back. The IMEI number is also written on the SIM card tray on a few phones.