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.

Standard Number Standard Title Emphasis
EN 50360 /
CENELEC 50360
Product standard to demonstrate the compliance of mobile phones with the basic restrictions related to human exposure to electromagnetic fields (300 MHz — 3GHz) Safety
EN 50361 /
CENELEC 50361
Basic standard for the measurement of specific absorption rate related to human exposure to electromagnetic fields from mobile phones (300 MHz — 3GHz) Safety
EN 50364 /
CENELEC 50364
Limitation of human exposure to electromagnetic fields from devices operating in the frequency range 0 Hz to 10 GHz, used in Electronic Article Surveillance (EAS), Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) and similar applications. Safety
EN 50371 /
CENELEC 50371
Generic standard to demonstrate the compliance of low power electronic and electrical apparatus with the basic restrictions related to human exposure to electromagnetic fields (10 MHz — 300GHz). Safety
EN 50385 /
CENELEC 50385
Product Standard to Demonstrate the Compliances of Radio Base Stations and Fixed Terminal Stations for Wireless Telecommunication Systems with the Basic Restrictions or the Reference Levels Related to Human Exposure to Radio Frequency Electromagnetic Fields (110MHz — 40GHz). Safety
EN 50392 /
CENELEC 50392
Generic standard to demonstrate the compliance of electronic and electrical apparatus with the basic restrictions related to human exposure to electromagnetic fields (0Hz —300GHz). Safety
EN 60215 /
IEC 60215
Safety requirements for radio transmitting equipment. Safety
EN 60825-1 /
IEC 60825-1
Safety of laser products Part 1: Equipment classification, requirements and user’s guide. Safety
EN 60825-2 /
IEC 60825-2
Safety of laser products Part 2: Safety of optical fibre communication systems. Safety
EN 60950 /
IEC 60950
Safety of information technology equipment. Safety
EN 61204-7 /
IEC 61204-7
Low voltage power supplies, DC output – Part 7: Safety requirements. Safety
EN 62040-1-1 /
IEC 62040-1-1
Uninterruptible power systems (UPS) – Part 1: General and safety requirements for UPS used in operator access areas. Safety
EN 62040-1-2 /
IEC 62040-1-2
Uninterruptible power systems (UPS) – Part 1: General and safety requirements for UPS used in restricted access locations. Safety
EN 55011 /
CISPR 11
Industrial, scientific and medical (ISM) radio-frequency equipment – Electromagnetic disturbance characteristics – Limits and methods of measurement Electromagnetic Compatibility
EN 55022 /
CISPR 22
Information technology equipment– Radio disturbance characteristics – Limits and methods of measurement. Electromagnetic Compatibility
EN 55024 /
CISPR 24
Information technology equipment – Immunity characteristics – Limits and methods of measurement. Electromagnetic Compatibility
EN 61000-3-2 /
IEC 61000-3-2
Part 3-2: Limits– Limits for harmonic current emissions (equipment input current up to and including 16 A per phase). Electromagnetic Compatibility
EN 61000-3-3 /
IEC 61000-3-3
Part 3-3: Limits– Limitation of voltage changes, voltage fluctuations and flicker in public low-voltage supply systems, for equipment with rated current <= 16A per phase and not subject to conditional connection. Electromagnetic Compatibility
EN 61000-3-8 /
IEC 61000-3-8
Part 3-8: Limits – Limitation of voltage changes, voltage fluctuations and flicker in public low-voltage supply systems – Emission levels, frequency bands and electromagnetic disturbance levels. Electromagnetic Compatibility
EN 61000-3-11 /
IEC 61000-3-11
Part 3-11: Limits – Limitation of voltage changes, voltage fluctuations and flicker in public low-voltage supply systems – Equipment with rated current <= 75 A and subject to conditional connection. Electromagnetic Compatibility
EN 61000-6-1 /
IEC 61000-6-1
Part 6-1: Generic standards – Immunity standard for residential, commercial and light-industrial environments. Electromagnetic Compatibility
EN 61000-6-2 /
IEC 61000-6-2
Part 6-2: Generic standards – Immunity standard for industrial environments. Electromagnetic Compatibility
EN 61000-6-3 /
IEC 61000-6-3
Part 6-3: Generic standards – Emission standard for residential, commercial and light-industrial environments. Electromagnetic Compatibility
EN 61000-6-4 /
IEC 61000-6-4
Part 6-4: Generic standards – Emission standard for industrial environments. Electromagnetic Compatibility
EN 61204-3 /
IEC 61204-3
Low voltage power supplies, DC output – Part 3: Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC). Electromagnetic Compatibility
EN 62040-2 /
IEC 62040-2
Uninterruptible power systems (UPS) – Part 2: Electromagnetic compatibility (EMC) requirements. Electromagnetic Compatibility
ETSI EN 300 386 Electromagnetic compatibility and Radio spectrum Matters (ERM); Telecommunication network equipment; Electro Magnetic Compatibility (EMC) requirements. Electromagnetic Compatibility
ETSI EN 301 489-1 Electromagnetic compatibility and Radio spectrum Matters (ERM); ElectroMagnetic Compatibility (EMC) standard for radio equipment and services; Part 1: Common technical requirements Electromagnetic Compatibility
ETSI EN 301 489-4 Electromagnetic compatibility and Radio spectrum Matters (ERM); ElectroMagnetic Compatibility (EMC) standard for radio equipment and services; Part 4: Specific conditions for fixed radio links and ancillary equipment and services. Electromagnetic Compatibility

 

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).

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