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The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami has directed that SIM cards be linked to National Identity Number (NIN).
The directive follows an earlier order by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on the suspension of new SIM card registration by network operators pending a database audit.
The minister who issued the new directive on Monday during an urgent meeting of key stakeholders in the communications industry, gave telecoms operators two weeks to link subscribers’ registered SIM cards on their networks to their NIN, which is currently being issued by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
He further added that submission of NIN by subscribers must take place within two weeks from today December 16, 2020, and end by December 30, 2020.
Pantami said that all SIMs without NINs are to be blocked from the networks after the deadline. To ensure compliance, a ministerial taskforce comprising the Minister and all telecoms CEOs among others was constituted. to monitor compliance by all networks.
The Minister warned that violations of the new directive would be met by stiff sanctions, including the possibility of withdrawal of operating licence.
Meanwhile, telecoms subscribers under the aegis of the National Telecoms Subscribers Association of Nigeria (NATCOMS) have urged the federal government to re-direct the NCC to quickly lift the suspension order on the sale and activation of new SIM cards across networks.
They said the suspension order has rendered many Nigerians incommunicado after losing their SIM cards to hoodlums and robbery attacks and could not do a ‘welcome backpack’ to retrieve their mobile lines.
National Chairman of NATCOMS, Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, who recounted the fate of his members in the past few days in Lagos, said most of his members were victims of the Agege mayhem in Lagos at the weekend, where their mobile phones were forcefully taken away from them by hoodlums who unleashed mayhem on the area.
Pantami asked operators to ensure that all their subscribers provide valid NIN to update SIM registration records.
NCC, therefore, urged the general public to ensure that their NINs are captured in their SIM registration data.
This post was written by Obiajulu Joel Nwolu.
The views expressed here belong to the author and do not necessarily reflect our views and opinions.