Every SIM Card Must Be Registered With NIN Or Be Blocked, Says NCC |The Source

By Uche Mbah

Telecom operators have two weeks to comply with a directive by the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, to wit, that all SIM cards must be registered with a National Identity  Number, NIN.

Nigerians have been asked to update their NIN by the Federal  Government . Because of low compliance, they once tied it to the registration of national examinations so that students are forced to register.

But the government has decided that by December 30, any sim registered must have a National identity number attached to it or the number will be blocked by Telecom operators.

It threatened errant telecom companies with Licence withdrawal or any other heavy penalty as will be applicable. It has already demanded suspension of new registration of sim cards last week pending the conclusion of the ongoing sim audit of telecom companies.

A statement on Tuesday by the Director of Public Affairs of the NCC, Ikechukwu Adinde said: “Following the earlier directive on the suspension of new SIM registration by network operators, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) convened an urgent meeting of key stakeholders in the Communications industry on Monday, December 14, 2020.”

“The meeting had in attendance the Chief Executive Officers (CEOs) and Management of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), as well as the CEOs and Management staff of all service providers in the industry”. According to him, the gathering examined “the need to consolidate the achievements of last year’s SIM registration audit and improve the performance and sanity of the sector…all stakeholders agreed that urgent drastic measures have now become inevitable to improve the integrity and transparency of the SIM registration process.”

According to him, the meeting resolved that the “following decisions were taken for immediate implementation by all Network Operators: Affirmation of the earlier directive to totally suspend the registration of NEW SIMs by all operators.

“Operators to require ALL their subscribers to provide valid National Identification Number (NIN) to update SIM registration records.

“The submission of NIN by subscribers to take place within two weeks (from today December 16, 2020, and end by 30 December 2020).

“After the deadline, ALL SIMs without NINs are to be blocked from the networks.

“A Ministerial Task Force comprising the Minister and all the CEOs (among others) as members is to monitor compliance by all networks.

“Violations of this directive will be met by stiff sanctions, including the possibility of withdrawal of operating license.

“The general public is hereby urged to ensure that their NINs are captured in their SIM registration data.”