Type Approval

The Nigerian Communications Commission is empowered by the Nigerian Communications Act 2003 to establish and enforce standards for all telecommunications equipment in operation in the Federal Republic of Nigeria to ensure that they operate seamlessly and safely within the Nigerian telecommunications environment.

To ensure maximum interoperability and affordability for consumers, the Type Approval standards set by the Nigerian Communications Commission are based on international standards from; The International Electrotechnical Commission (IEC) and its International Special Committee on Radio Interference (CISPR), The European Committee for Electrotechnical Standardization (CENELEC) and The European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI). Note that Nigeria is an associate member of IEC through the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON) and could become an associate member of CENELEC and ETSI.

All equipment manufacturers, vendors and operators, including customer devices such as mobile phones and wireless adapters, must therefore ensure that their equipment conform to the applicable standards as mandated by the Commission before bringing them into Nigeria.

The Type Approval Standards listed below are grouped under headings according to the main kinds of equipment to which they relate. In addition, the emphasis of each of the Type Approval Standards listed are identified with regard to whether they deal mainly with safety, electromagnetic compatibility or physical interoperability (which can cover optical, electrical or radio systems). Some standards relate to so many kinds of equipment that they are collected under their own heading. These groupings are intended for convenience.

The following Type Approval Standards apply to all telecommunications equipment per identified service i.e. mobile telephony, laser products, etc.

Note: The individually identified standards are not dated. In general, Equipment Holders should refer to the most recent editions of the standards and watch for subsequent amendments.

These standards have been chosen because:

• They represent international practices as developed in many countries.
• Nigeria adopts practices predominantly like those adopted in Europe (for example, by being in ITU World Region 1 for spectrum allocation and by using GSM very extensively).
• The ETSI standards incorporate a layered structure that allows different concerns (such as electromagnetic compatibility and physical interoperability) to be analysed separately.
• The ETSI standards, and all the supporting technical reports, are free and easily obtained (for example, from their site).

The initial version of the Type Approval Standards excludes equipment specifically for:

1. Services that are currently outside the scope of the Commission’s authority under the Act (such as broadcasting).
2. Services that are thought unlikely to be provided in Nigeria (such as Public Access Mobile Radio and Integrated Services Digital Networks).
3. Services  that are obsolescent in Nigeria (such as analogue mobile telephony).