Telecom
Counterfeiters Now Control 10% Phone Market Share in Nigeria
Fake phone manufacturers and importers seem to be having upper hand in the current battle with such products’ regulators in Nigeria, Nigeria CommunicationsWeek can report.
According to an impeccable source in the phone manufacturing business, counterfeiters might have taken over more than ten per cent (10%) of the market share, and glaringly displaying the products at different areas like Computer Village- Ikeja and other hinterlands.
“It is affecting a whole lot of things in this market. We hear of people complain about Poor Quality of Network Service (QoS), the activities of these phone fakers contribute a lot to that. So, users of such phones are losers, government is losing revenue, we are losing the market too as original equipment manufacturers and spells doom for the market.
“These guys used to occupy about five per cent of the market, but I can authoritatively tell you that they have gone beyond ten per cent of the market share,” the source who prefers anonymity told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek.
ATCON Had Alerted Constituted Authorities
Nigeria CommunicationsWeek had in October 1, 2016 exclusively reported the discovery by the Association of Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ATCON), which called for urgent measures to curb the increasing rate of dumping fake mobile phones in the country.
Mr. Olusola Teniola, ATCON said that that investigations revealed more than twenty (20) mobile phone brands in the country are not NCC type-approved and contribute significantly to the persistent poor quality of service (QoS).
Although, names of the phone brands are yet to be made public, however, Teniola said that the unregistered/unapproved brands have over one hundred and fifty (150) mobile phone models circulating in Nigeria.
He said that the Association believes more stringent measures should be taken to curb the counterfeiting of mobile phones in the country.
Meanwhile, fresh facts emerged recently, showing that the fakers copy 100% of top phone brands in the market, selling same to end-users as the original.
Standard Organisation of Nigeria (SON) Arrest Alleged Fakers
It could be recalled that in January 2017, the Standards Organisation of Nigeria (SON), working with other law enforcement agencies arrested two Chinese nationals over increasing complaints about fake and substandard phones imported into Nigeria.
The Chinese, according to Osita Aboloma, director general of SON, imported fake and substandard mobile phones into the country.
Aboloma, who was represented by Bede Obayi, director Compliance of SON, during a recent enforcement exercise in Lagos by SON, said the Agency has continued to receive numerous complaints about KZG phones from unsuspecting consumers in the country.
Aboloma said “We have information on the activities of these Chinese people who are operating this KZG mobile here in Ikeja Lagos that people are complaining about the quality of their products and SON has to ensure that the quality of products sold in Nigeria is in compliance with the Nigeria industrial standards.
“Their attitude show that they know what they are doing here and they are not ready to talk, they are not ready to give us information about what they are doing here and their major warehouses. Based on the information we have gathered and what we found on ground in the office and the documentation of importation indicates that he is one of the leading suppliers of sub-standard phones in Nigeria,” Obayi said.
Fakers Attack Original OEMs
But, our Source at Computer Village, Ikeja, revealed how SON’s clamp down on fakers attracted their (fakers’) wraths on original OEMs. “In fact, when SON concluded the raid here in Computer Village, the fake phone manufacturers were furious and went ahead to invade shops and offices of some the original OEMs whom they believed were the whistleblowers. Staff of the original OEMs were quite traumatized by the incident.
Speaking to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek on the worrying situation, Mr. Teniola said, “We plead with Government to put in place anti-counterfeiting measures such as the facilitation of integrated Web portal based IMEI-IMSI collection to stem the menace of substandard or unregistered mobile phones circulating in Nigeria with obvious consequences of poor quality of service, loss of revenue to the government, loss of business by OEMs and loss of jobs as well as in revenue to the Nigeria mobile market.
“For instance, we have more than twenty mobile phone brands that do not have NCC type approved certificate to operate in Nigeria. This unregistered/unapproved brands have over one hundred and fifty mobile phone models circulating in Nigeria”.
He added that the Association observed 10% of fake mobile phones products of some of the popular mobile phone brands circulating in Nigeria.
According to Mr. Austin Eze, a phone technician, “an average phone user in the market requires education to distinguish original from fake phones. “Yes. For the fact there are fake phones in the market implies there are originals too. What the manufacturers should be focusing on is educating the customers”.
CAPDAN Confirms The Situation
Mr Ahmed Ojikutu, president of Computer and Allied Product Dealers Association of Nigeria (CAPDAN) while reacting to the situation told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek confirmed that the activities of the fakers are threats to OEMs.
Mr Ojikutu, however, said that his administration is completely against the illegalities, while pleading with relevant authorities to partner them in tackling the unsavory situation.
He said that, as part of CAPDAN’s commitment to tacking fake and substandard devices, they are launching a toll-free line that will be available to those patronizing the market.
The CAPDAN President spoke to Nigeria CommunicationsWeek, “Our administration is absolutely 150% against substandard and counterfeit products. We are trying to make sure that anybody that has complaint relating to buying counterfeit product or not exactly what you paid for, we will make sure that such is addressed at our own level. We will make sure the seller in questions provides what the buyer paid for at the point of the transaction. Be that at it may, if the complaint didn’t get to us, we wouldn’t know how to resolve the issue. In a case where the seller refuses to yield to our calls, we hand him over to the police; that is what we have been doing.
“We are also going to launch a campaign with a free-toll line. We are going to display it anywhere for people to call-in and lodge complaints. As they call in possibly during the working hours, we give them reference number to follow up on them. This is for every buyer at Computer Village (CV) to be assured of buying genuine products.
“Already, we have set up an arbitration and disciplinary committee that headed by reputable people in the market. Most of the time, we refer issues to the Committee”.
Involvement of Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs)
He further sought more commitment of OEMs in the fight against the unwholesome products in the market. Mr. Ojikutu said, “The Original Equipment Manufacturers (OEMs) are supposed to work closely with us, because most times, we are the people on ground. Though we are not law enforcement, but the owners, the direct beneficiaries of these interventions, ought to work closer with us. With the joint efforts, the people counterfeiting their products will be apprehended and handed over to the police; that is the way forward, because when the counterfeiters are caught who is going to pay the legal charges? If they really sit with us we will get results”.
Clydestone Ghana Plc has filed a writ of summons and statement of claim against MTN Ghana, MTN Group Limited and Mobile Money Fintech Limited, alleging unauthorized use of its intellectual property.
The company announced the court action at the Ghana Stock Exchange, confirming proceedings in the Commercial Division of the High Court of Ghana.
The case relates to work commissioned in 2007 that Clydestone alleges was later used without authorisation or compensation.
Clydestone said the claim involves proprietary intellectual property, confidential commercial information and operational methodology developed during the engagement. The company is seeking declarations, damages and equitable remedies.
In a statement, Clydestone said MTN Ghana engaged it in 2007 to develop a commercial and operational framework for a mobile money business.
“The work was developed and delivered by the company’s founder and Group CEO, Paul Jacquaye, and included a full mobile money ecosystem covering the commercial model, operational architecture, implementation methodology and business case.”
Clydestone said the work was commissioned on the understanding that a non-disclosure agreement and memorandum of understanding would be signed.
It alleges these agreements were not finalised despite repeated requests.
The company further alleges MTN Ghana later used its proprietary work and methodology without authorisation or compensation, including in MTN Mobile Money Ghana and other markets.
Clydestone said the alleged use has continued since the launch of MTN Mobile Money Ghana in 2009.
“The wrongful use of that work has been ongoing since 2009. What has changed is the availability of independently verifiable information that documents its scale and commercial significance,” the company said.
It cited the GSMA State of the Industry Report on Mobile Money 2026 and MTN Ghana’s 2025 annual report as evidence of the platform’s scale.
According to Clydestone, the reports show approximately 19.3 million active users and annual revenue of about GHS 6.0 billion ($516m).
The company said it reviewed its records following these publications and concluded there were sufficient grounds to initiate legal proceedings.
It added that it has received no payment or acknowledgement for the work since December 2007, and that pre-action correspondence in 2026 received no substantive response.
“The Board of Directors has unanimously authorised the commencement of these proceedings,” the company said.
Jacquaye said: “This case is about accountability for commissioned intellectual property.
“When independent publications in 2025 and 2026 revealed the scale of the mobile money business, we reviewed all documentation relating to the original engagement and concluded these proceedings were necessary.”
MTN Group Limited, named as a defendant, had not commented at the time of publication.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has reaffirmed its commitment to expanding digital inclusion through strategic partnerships aimed at equipping underserved communities with digital skills and access to technology.
Mr. Oladejo Olawunmi, Director, Digital Development Services representing the Director General of NITDA, and the Executive Director of Cal-Maji Foundation, alongside members of their respective delegations, pose for a group photograph following a strategic engagement on advancing digital literacy, capacity building, and digital inclusion for women, youth, and underserved communities.
Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa, made the commitment during a courtesy visit by the Executive Director of Cal-Maji Foundation, Mrs Faith Ayuba, to the agency’s headquarters in Abuja.
Represented by the Director of Digital Development Services, Mr Oluwunmi Oladejo, Inuwa said collaboration with community-based organisations remained central to NITDA’s vision of ensuring that no Nigerian was left behind in the country’s digital transformation journey.
He noted that feedback from beneficiary communities demonstrated the long-term impact of the agency’s interventions across the country.
“It is always gratifying to receive feedback from communities that have benefited from our interventions.
“Many of these projects were implemented years ago, and it is rewarding to know they are still creating opportunities,” he said.
The NITDA boss explained that the agency continued to monitor the performance of its intervention centres nationwide while leveraging emerging technologies to enhance digital learning and virtual capacity-building.
According to him, the National Digital Literacy Framework remains the foundation of NITDA’s efforts to equip children, students, artisans, farmers, professionals and other groups with digital competencies needed in a technology-driven economy.
Responding to requests for additional support, Inuwa disclosed that the agency would consider training community-based instructors to sustain digital literacy initiatives at the grassroots.
He encouraged the foundation to submit a formal request, accompanied by evidence of activities at its digital centre, to facilitate further intervention.
The director-general, however, acknowledged that maintaining internet connectivity across numerous intervention centres nationwide remained a major funding challenge.
He stressed the need for innovative financing models and stronger collaboration to ensure the sustainability of digital inclusion projects.
Earlier, Ayuba commended NITDA for its openness to partnerships and its commitment to supporting initiatives that deliver measurable impact in underserved communities.
She described the agency as one of the few government institutions that prioritised impactful programmes over personal connections.
According to her, the Cal-Maji Foundation focuses on improving access to education, strengthening food systems, enhancing food security and providing social protection for women and young people, particularly in remote communities.
Ayuba said NITDA’s Knowledge Access Centre, established at the foundation’s community school in a border community in Kogi State, had significantly transformed learning by providing students and residents with access to computers, internet services and digital education.
“The ICT centre became an equaliser.
“Young people who ordinarily would never have had access to computers or the internet suddenly had the opportunity to acquire digital knowledge.
“We came back simply to say thank you because this partnership has changed lives,” she said.
She disclosed that more than 1,000 children had benefited from the foundation’s educational programmes.
Ayuba also presented a former student who progressed from the community school to a Nigerian university after utilising the digital resources available at the centre.
She described the student’s achievement as evidence of the enduring impact of the collaboration.
The foundation’s executive director appealed for deeper collaboration through the training of community instructors, upgrading of computer systems and expanded access to NITDA’s digital capacity-building programmes.
She stressed that rural communities must not be left behind as Nigeria advances in emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cybersecurity and digital innovation.
The meeting ended with both organisations reaffirming their commitment to strengthening collaboration to expand digital opportunities, promote inclusive technology adoption and support Nigeria’s digital economy agenda.
National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has unveiled the National Software Quality Assurance (SQA) Framework to improve software quality, strengthen cybersecurity and enhance public confidence in Nigeria’s digital infrastructure and government services.
The framework, approved by the Director-General of NITDA, Kashifu Inuwa Abdullahi, under the provisions of the NITDA Act 2007, establishes national standards for the design, testing and deployment of software across Federal Government institutions, regulated industries and the broader digital ecosystem.
According to the agency, the initiative is aimed at reducing costly information technology failures, improving service delivery and ensuring that software powering critical national infrastructure meets globally accepted quality standards.
The framework comprises three regulatory instruments, namely the National Software Development Guideline, the National Software Testing Guideline and the Software Testing Organisations Licensing (STOL) Guideline.
NITDA explained that the National Software Development Guideline mandates structured software development processes, secure coding practices based on the Open Worldwide Application Security Project (OWASP), standardised system documentation and compliance with Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG) 2.1 AA for citizen-facing digital services.
The National Software Testing Guideline introduces mandatory testing benchmarks covering software functionality, cybersecurity, system performance under peak demand and interoperability before deployment.
Under the STOL Guideline, independent Licensed Software Testing Organisations (LSTOs) will be accredited and regulated to evaluate and certify software before it is deployed.
The agency stated that all Federal Government software projects would now be required to undergo independent third-party testing and obtain official certification before deployment.
It added that compliance with the framework would become a mandatory requirement for obtaining IT Project Clearance.
To strengthen risk management, the framework introduces a three-tier software classification model based on the criticality of systems.
Under the classification, Class A covers high-risk and critical national infrastructure such as core banking systems, national identity platforms and electricity grid control systems.
Class B applies to medium-risk enterprise platforms, while Class C covers lower-risk internal software applications.
NITDA said Class A systems would undergo more rigorous security assessments, including advanced penetration testing and specialised audits conducted by top-tier accredited software testing organisations.
The agency identified three major benefits of the framework.
It said the initiative would improve the reliability and security of digital public services, protect government investments from software failures and cyber threats, and enhance service delivery to citizens.
It also noted that regulating independent software testing would stimulate the growth of Nigeria’s software assurance industry, create employment opportunities for technology professionals and promote indigenous innovation.
According to NITDA, the framework will further strengthen international confidence in locally developed software, enabling Nigerian technology companies to compete more effectively in global markets and attract foreign investment.
Speaking on the development, Inuwa said quality remained fundamental to building trust in Nigeria’s digital economy.
“Quality is the foundation of digital trust.
“With this Framework, every software solution serving Nigerians, whether built for government or the private sector, will meet clear national standards for security, reliability and interoperability.
“This is how we modernise government technology and position Nigerian software to compete on the global stage,” he said.
The agency disclosed that the framework would take full effect in the second quarter of 2027.
It said the implementation period would include nationwide stakeholder engagement, capacity-building programmes and the accreditation of software testing organisations.
NITDA added that an Expression of Interest (EOI) would soon be issued to qualified organisations seeking licences to operate as independent software testing bodies under the new regulatory regime.
Nwokolo, Nollywood Actor Claims Internet Fraud is “Keeping Economy Afloat’
SEC Begins Full e-Registration for Capital Market Operators
Elon Musk Launches Invite-only X Money with Visa Debit Card
CBN Fines Banks N430m for Ignoring Customers’ Complaints
Kaspersky Uncovers New Mirage Kitten Malware Used in Cyber-espionage Campaign Across Africa, Others
NRC, Ponzi Scheme Collapses Resulting Loss of Billions of Naira
EFCC Busts NIS Visa Overstay Racket, Uncovers N700m in an Account
From Scarcity to Scale: What Africa Can Learn from India’s Agricultural Transformation
Tokenization, Blockchain Technology will Transform Financial Institutions – IMF
BON Establishes Six Ad Hoc Committees to Modernize Broadcasting
Telecom1 day agoFact-Check: Elon Musk’s “Tesla Pi Phone” is Internet Rumor
News2 days agoHistory as Lagos Becomes First Nigerian State to Launch Greenhouse Gas Registry
E-Business3 days agoUNN to Partner Firm on AI, Smart Mobility Innovation Centre
Telecom3 days agoAI Investment Gap Threatens Africa’s Future Growth
Telecom2 days agoAMCON Puts ntel Up for Sale, Seeks Investors
E-Financial3 days agoRemita Raises Alarm Over Nigeria’s Digital Divide, Calls for More Investment
E-Financial1 day agoMalpass, Ex World Bank Chief Raises Alarm over Nigeria’s Secretive Debt Structures
Telecom1 day agoHow and Why Apps Deplete Data – ALTON