By Isa Abdul, Abuja

Nigerians have been urged to check the verification status of mobile phones before buying them using the device checker code, *315#, according to the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC,

ts website to establish whether a phone had received type approval and had been verified for use on Nigerian mobile networksNCC said buyers could also use the device checker on .

Speaking on Newsnight on Arise Television, the NCC’s Director of Technical Standards and Network Integrity, Eduyemi Ogoh, said the check was particularly important for people buying second-hand phones or devices imported from abroad.

“Before you buy the phone, dial *315# and confirm that the phone is fully verified before you pay,” he said.

Ogoh said the NCC introduced the checker to meet its statutory responsibility under the Nigerian Communications Act 2003, protect consumers and address complaints about poor network service linked to mobile devices.

“The whole intent of [type approval] is to ensure that every device coming into the country is genuine and works the way it should work,” he said.

He said consumers should be confident that they were spending their money on genuine devices, rather than “an old phone device that is fake or an imitation of the real thing.”

Ogoh said the commission had found that some service quality complaints were attributable to the devices consumers were using.

Unapproved or improperly functioning phones could affect both their users and others in the same area, he added.

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To check a phone, buyers can dial *315# and follow the prompts to enter its International Mobile Equipment Identity (IMEI), a unique number assigned to each mobile device. Ogoh said buyers could check a phone’s IMEI before paying, including by asking the seller to provide it.

A device that fails the check is not necessarily counterfeit, he said. Type approval involves laboratory testing of a phone model to establish that it meets applicable standards and can operate properly on Nigerian networks. Verification confirms that an individual device has been registered on the NCC’s device checker system using its IMEI.

“Type approval is done just once per model,” Ogoh said, adding that manufacturers, vendors or importers, not buyers, were responsible for obtaining it.

The enhanced compliance process applies to devices brought into the country from October 7. Ogoh said devices already operating on Nigerian networks at midnight on October 6 had been onboarded and verified. The NCC had registered about 231 million such devices, he said.

“We know that people have spent their money to do this, so you cannot be asking them to go and throw those phones out,” he said.

Ogoh also sought to allay privacy concerns, saying the checker uses only the IMEI to verify a device and does not give the NCC access to a user’s calls, contacts, messages or stored information.

He said verification could help buyers avoid unexpected device problems and establish whether poor service was caused by an unapproved phone.

Consumers with complaints about the device checker can dial 315, while the NCC’s consumer complaint line is 622.

The Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, has expressed deep sorrow over the death of Felix Onigbinde, a Photojournalist with the Nigerian Tribune newspaper.

Onigbinde, who reportedly fell into a coma last week and was admitted to the Garki General Hospital, Abuja, before his death, was a dedicated and award winning photojournalist whose career reflected his commitment to the gathering and dissemination of information in the service of society.

He began his journalism career with Daily Trust newspaper before joining the Nigerian Tribune, where he worked until his demise.

As a photojournalist, Onigbinde played a role in documenting events and telling stories through images, contributing to the work of the media in informing the public.

The NUJ FCT Council said his death was particularly heartbreaking, noting that his passing had created a painful void among colleagues and friends, as well as in the wider journalism community.

The Council in a statement issued on Saturday by the the Secretary, Comrade Jide Oyekunle extended its heartfelt condolences to the management and staff of the Nigerian Tribune, Photojournalists Association of Nigeria ( PJAN ) his colleagues, friends and professional associates, praying that God grants them the strength to bear the irreparable loss.

The Council also commiserated with his immediate family, particularly his wife and two children, who are left to cope with the loss of their husband and father.

Onigbinde, who hailed from Ife Modakeke, in Ife East Local Government Area of Osun State, will be remembered by those who knew him for his contribution to journalism and his service to the public through his profession.

The Council prayed for the peaceful repose of his soul and for God to comfort his wife, children, extended family, colleagues and all those mourning his passing.

Signed

Jide Oyekunle

Secretary NUJ FCT Council

The Director‑General of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, Dr. Adedayo Benjamins‑Laniyi, says sustained collaboration between the Centre and the media could help amplify women’s voices, improve public understanding of women‑focused policies and strengthen accountability for programmes that improve the lives of women and girls.

Dr. Benjamins‑Laniyi made the call at the weekend during a courtesy visit by the NUJ FCT Council, led by Council Chair Comrade Grace Ike, in Abuja.

She said journalists play a critical role in shaping public understanding of women’s development, advocating for policy change, and amplifying the experiences of women and girls.

She proposed periodic training sessions, media roundtables and knowledge‑sharing engagements to equip reporters with the skills and information needed to cover issues such as women’s economic empowerment, leadership, gender‑based violence, education and social inclusion.

While congratulating Comrade Grace Ike as the first female chair of the NUJ FCT Council in forty‑one years, Dr. Benjamins‑Laniyi stressed the need to strengthen journalists’ capacity to report women’s issues with greater accuracy, sensitivity and depth.

“Let us invest in the capacity of journalists to report gender issues responsibly and effectively,” she said.

She added that the proposed partnership should move beyond expressions of goodwill to concrete commitments and measurable outcomes.

“As the 16th Director‑General of the Maryam Babangida National Centre for Women Development, I extend a formal invitation to the NUJ FCT Council to become a strategic media partner in advancing the Centre’s mandate and strengthening the national movement for women’s empowerment,” Dr. Benjamins‑Laniyi said.

She called for a formal media‑partnership framework to guide joint advocacy, public enlightenment, media engagement and the promotion of women‑focused initiatives, and urged that women’s development be a consistent part of national discourse rather than being limited to occasions such as International Women’s Day.

She said issues affecting women — and particularly women with disabilities should receive sustained attention across print, broadcast and digital platforms throughout the year.

The director‑general also called for platforms that would give greater visibility to women entrepreneurs, rural women, young innovators, women with disabilities and community leaders whose contributions often receive limited public attention.

She proposed that the Centre and the NUJ FCT designate focal persons to coordinate their engagement, identify priority activities and periodically review progress.

“We should be able to look back at the end of each agreed period and point to specific achievements: programmes implemented, women reached, stories published, public awareness raised and opportunities created,” she said.

Dr. Benjamins‑Laniyi said the partnership should also involve the media in shaping public conversations on women’s development, rather than merely inviting journalists to cover the Centre’s activities.

“The Centre has a mandate to empower women. The media has the power to amplify that mandate. Together, we can turn that power into progress,” she said.

Earlier, Comrade Grace Ike said the NUJ FCT Council visited the Centre to declare a “partnership of purpose” focused on placing women’s stories, voices and contributions at the centre of national development.

Comrade Ike, the first female chairman of the NUJ FCT Council, congratulated Dr. Benjamins‑Laniyi on her appointment as the Centre’s 16th director‑general and said the council was ready to collaborate with the institution.

She noted that Nigerian women have contributed significantly to the country’s families, economy, culture and democracy, but many of their contributions remain undocumented or poorly represented in the national narrative.

“Our theme is: Women in Journalism: Centring Women’s Stories, Voices and Contributions for National Development,” she said.

Comrade Ike urged the media to amplify women’s voices, showcase their achievements, highlight challenges affecting them and promote conversations that advance equal opportunities and participation in national development.

She identified the Nigerian Women Hall of Fame, located within the Centre, as an important platform for preserving the contributions of Nigerian women.

She said the NUJ was willing to work with the Centre to document and tell women’s stories in ways that inspire younger generations, particularly girls and young women.

The NUJ FCT chairman also called for greater attention to grassroots and rural women, women in informal employment, women with disabilities and young women whose contributions often receive little media attention.

She proposed regular features, interviews and programmes on women’s leadership, enterprise, innovation and community impact, as well as intergenerational dialogues involving veteran women leaders, emerging professionals and young girls.

Other areas proposed by the NUJ FCT include public conversations on women’s economic empowerment, digital inclusion, leadership, health, safety and rights, and joint capacity‑building programmes for journalists on ethical and gender‑sensitive reporting.

Comrade Ike said female journalists should also be given greater opportunities for professional development and leadership within the media industry.

She urged journalists to ensure women are visible in coverage of governance, the economy, technology, security, education, health, climate change, culture and other issues shaping Nigeria.

“Women are not merely beneficiaries of policy. They are experts, employers, innovators, caregivers, peacebuilders, taxpayers, voters, traders, farmers, researchers and leaders,” she said.

“Our reporting should connect women to information, opportunities, services and decision making spaces. It should explain policies in clear language, expose barriers, highlight practical solutions and follow up on whether commitments improve women’s lives.” she added