Chinese Transsion Group brands which include Tecno, Infinix and iTel have recorded the largest number of approved mobile phones in the Nigerian market.
This was revealed in the latest data released by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which recently approved 2,257 phones to be sold in the Nigerian market.
According to NCC, these brands and models have been tested by the telecoms regulator and met the applicable type approval standards required to allow them to be sold to consumers in Nigeria.
The data shows that phone brands under Transsion Group currently have a total of 598 models of their phones approved for sale in Nigeria. This represents 26% of the total approved phones in the market.
Nokia brand marketed by HMD Global came second in the market with 310 of its devices currently approved. This is followed by Samsung with 231 approved mobile phones in the market. Other brands with more than 40 models approved include Huawei, Xiaomi, Oppo and Vivo.
Recall that the former NCC Chairman, Umar Danbatta, had said the approval of mobile devices in Nigeria is necessary to tackle the challenges of counterfeit phones sold in the market.
Danbatta noted that the NCC’s list of approved phones allows Nigerians to check whether their preferred phones have been tested and approved for sale in the country.
He said: “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.
A recent report said Nigeria has over 219 million active mobile subscribers as of March 2024, leading to the influx of mobile phone manufacturers into the country.
However, NCC warns Nigerians to avoid Gionee and other phone models not approved in the market.