Tecno dominates with 200 models on the list
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Tecno launched in Nigeria in 2006, the year it was made by Chinese Tecno Mobile, is the market leader in approved handset in Africa’s most populous country, according to the latest official list of 1,843 approved models.
Tecno devices alone account for 200 on the list of handsets certified and approved for use by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The handsets, of different brands and models, are those the NCC tested and found to meet regulatory standards.
The NCC approved 1,653 models as of April 2021, which means the regulator has since approved an additional 190.
Chinese mobile manufacturers hold sway in terms of approved devices, as Tecno brands are followed by those of Huawei and ZTE.
Nigeria is a lucrative market for mobile manufacturers from across the world, with more than 197 million active mobile subscriptions as of February 2022, and still counting in a population of 206 million in which many have two or more lines each.
Fake or substandard phones affect the quality of service users get and also pose health risk. Regulatory approval ensures phones and devices are of quality standard.
Despite the efforts, however, thousands of unapproved phone brands are still being sold in the country.
Unapproved phones are in most cases substandard or fake, but they sell faster than the approved ones because they are cheaper prices.
__________________________________________________________________
Related articles:
Tecno sells more devices but Samsung makes the money in Africa
Chinese firm Xiaomi surges past Apple in global smartphone market
Samsung profit rises 52% despite chip shortage
Apple, Samsung, Nokia, others to have one phone charger. In the EU, then worldwide
________________________________________________________________
NCC warning against unapproved phones
NCC Executive Vice Chairman Umar Danbatta recently warned Nigerians not to buy any phone not certified by the regulator, per reporting by Nairametrics.
“The menace of counterfeit and substandard handsets has assumed a global dimension and requires a lot of education on the part of the consumers and collaboration with other government agencies to address it,” he said.
“Cases of influx and patronage of counterfeit handsets are more rampant in developing countries, such as Nigeria, where importers bring in substandard phones without recourse to the regulatory type-approval process aimed at certifying such devices as fit for the market.”
