Before you buy a phone in Nigeria, dial *315#
The communications regulator says a quick check can show whether a handset is genuine and approved. Phones already in use before 7 October need no action.
PANM — Nigerians buying a phone should check it first by dialling **\315#*, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says. "Before you buy a phone, dial *315# and confirm that the phone is fully verified before you pay," Edoyemi Ogoh, the NCC's director of technical standards and network integrity, told Arise News, Premium Times reports.
Why the NCC is checking
Its Device Checker took effect on 7 October 2026. The law requires phones to be type-approved, and the NCC found that many complaints about poor network service were linked to the handsets people use; a substandard phone can also affect other subscribers nearby.
How it works
- Type approval: each phone model is tested once in a laboratory to confirm it meets Nigerian standards and works on local networks.
- Unit verification: importers must register each handset's IMEI number on the NCC system. That is the job of importers, manufacturers and sellers, not buyers.
- Failing the check does not automatically mean a phone is fake.
What if you already have a phone?
Phones active on Nigerian networks at midnight on 6 October, about 231 million devices, are already verified, and their owners need do nothing. Phones found to be cloned before the system began will not be blocked.
Privacy
Ogoh said the checker uses only the IMEI number. The NCC does not learn who owns a phone and has no access to calls, contacts, messages or stored data. Buyers should use only the official *315# code and website, never share one-time codes with sellers, and can complain on 622.
Source: Premium Times, 17 October 2026.
