The Republic of Niger is a landlocked country in West Africa. It borders Libya to the northeast, Chad to the east, Nigeria to the south, Benin and Burkina Faso to the southwest, Mali to the west, and Algeria to the northwest. Over 80% of the land is in the Sahara Desert. The population is about 25 million and the capital is Niamey.
The Nigerien Communications Regulatory Authority (ARCEP) has issued a Decision with the Number 000011/ARCEP/CNRCEP/25. It entails a new regulation being effective from 8 Oct. this year which impacts the type of approval process for terminal and radio equipment, concerning mainly the approval procedures and the issuance of installer approvals.
The key changes and new requirements are the following
- Mandatory Marking: Approved equipment must now be physically marked. The label must include the exact information stated on the ARCEP-issued certificate. ARCEP does not require a specific label format as long as it contains information about the approval number and date, the model identification, the batch or serial number and the identity of the manufacturer or supplier.
- Submission of sample: Providing physical samples is now mandatory for all terminal equipment destined for the Nigerian market. ARCEP will conduct additional tests on these samples, which will be charged to the client.
- Local company requirement: A local company is now required to submit the type approval applications.
The project submissions must be made physically at the ARCEP offices.
- Certificate validity & renewal: The type of approval certificate is valid for 3 years. Renewals can be requested two months before the expiration date, provided the equipment has not been modified.
- No transitional Period: ARCEP has confirmed that the provisions are immediately effective without any transitional period.
For further information and/or assistance with certification for Niger or other African countries, please contact
Geremy.Bradshaw@nemko.com
(This article is based on the information from Chamagne at TASMAROC; edited by T.Sollie)