Did you know, that over two million phones are lost, or stolen every year in Nigeria? That means, on average, nearly 40,000 phones are lost or stolen every week, which works out about three a minute. Not bad going really, at least for the thieves out there.

Not surprisingly, the Nigerian authorities are getting a bit cross about it. So much so, they have created a Central Equipment Identity Registry (CEIR) which will record the International Mobile Equipment Identity Number (IMEI) of GSM handsets provided by their owners. Then, when a mobile phone is stolen, the network provider will be able to block the phone’s use not only on its own network, but all the networks in use in Nigeria.

This system will then be rolled out to all parts of West Africa, trying to put a curb on the proliferation of mobile telephone theft. But before we point a finger at the Nigerians, let us not forget that over 10,000 mobile phones are stolen every month in the U.K. That’s 120,000 a year and whereas, not as bad as Nigeria, the problem of U.K mobile phone theft is still a major one.

It’s also interesting to note that in the U.K., two thirds of the victims of mobile phone theft are aged between the age of 13 and 16. And that many phones are stolen from cars.

So, the best thing U.K. mobile phone users can do is try to keep an eye on their mobile phones. Because it’s not only the loss of a device that is essential for modern day living (keeping in touch), but one that might contain all your personal and professional contacts, and one that might also house your whole music collection.