Page 85 - SAMENA Trends - July-September 2024

REGULATORY & POLICY UPDATES SAMENA TRENDS

REGULATORY NEWS

Nigeria’s NCC Introduces Device Management System to Combat Phone-

Related Crime

Regulator the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has databases of IMEI repositories. Thus, the NCC-DMS will maintain a
introduced a device management system (DMS). The NCC DMS registry of all communication devices available in the country. All
is described as a comprehensive central equipment identity MNOs in the country are legally obliged to connect to the system. A
register (CEIR) aimed at managing and regulating mobile devices registration fee structure will be applied to every device registered.
accessing the country’s communication networks. The initiative News resource Nairametrics says the NCC first announced plans
is designed to ensure stricter control over mobile devices, to to deploy the DMS in 2021. Among the reasons given were “to
enhance security, and to promote compliance with established curtail the counterfeit mobile phone market, discourage mobile
regulatory standards. It will act as a central database for tracking phone theft, enhance national security, protect consumer interest,
devices across all mobile network operators (MNOs) in Nigeria. increase revenue generation for the government, reduce the rate
By registering and monitoring device access, the NCC says it of kidnapping, mitigate the use of stolen phones for crime, and
seeks to curb the use of unapproved devices and prevent issues facilitate blocking or tracing of stolen mobile phones and other
such as phone theft and fraudulent activities involving mobile smart devices”. Every reported IMEI for stolen and illegal mobile
devices. The regulator explains that the NCC-DMS will acquire the phones and other smart devices will be blacklisted and shared with
international mobile equipment identity (IMEI) of all devices on all operators across all networks, meaning the blacklisted devices
the communication network and synchronize with international will not work in any Nigerian network.

New UN Initiative to Reduce Disaster Risk with AI

A new United Nations initiative aims to ensure that advanced digital
technologies in fields such as artificial intelligence (AI) boost
resilience to natural hazards and reduce disaster risks. The Global
Initiative on Resilience to Natural Hazards through AI Solutions is
led by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU), the UN
Environment Program (UNEP), the UN Framework Convention
on Climate Change (UNFCCC), the Universal Postal Union (UPU),
and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO). The initiative
will explore AI use cases, provide expert guidance, and support
research, innovation, and standards development amid increasing
climate volatility and disaster risks worldwide. It also aims to
create an AI readiness framework to assess and improve national
capacities for using AI in disaster management. “Technical
standards are key to ensuring AI is used safely, responsibly and curated 27 use cases, and laid the groundwork for new international
equitably in disaster management – a field where decisions must standards. Its studies explored AI-enabled advances in data
be made quickly and carefully,” said ITU Secretary-General Doreen collection and handling, the modelling of natural hazards and
Bogdan-Martin. Participation is open to all interested experts. “This disasters, and emergency communications.
reinforces our work to promote AI-based resilience through Early Roadmap, glossary and expert guidance
Warnings for All – the groundbreaking push to protect everyone The resulting standardization roadmap outlines relevant existing
on Earth with timely disaster alerts by 2027,” Bogdan-Martin said. standards, along with areas of demand to be met by new standards.
The Early Warnings for All subgroup on AI, led by ITU, also involves The former ITU-WMO-UNEP Focus Group on AI for Natural Disaster
WMO, the United Nations Office for Disaster Risk Reduction Management also delivered a glossary of terms and definitions.
(UNDRR), and the International Federation of Red Cross and Red In addition, the group provided expert guidance on curating data
Crescent Societies (IFRC). sets for AI, the training and evaluation of AI-based models, and
Keeping up momentum on AI-driven disaster response integrating AI into disaster-management tools. Examples include
The new Global Initiative builds on the work of a focus group tools for alerts and early warnings, forecasting, hazard mapping,
launched by ITU, WMO, and UNEP in 2021. That focus group and decision-support systems.
analyzed promising applications of AI for disaster management,

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