NCC Suspends Sales, Registration Of New SIM Card

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Wednesday directed Mobile Network Operators to suspend the sale and activation of new SIM cards to allow an audit of the Subscriber Registration Database.

According to the statement by the NCC Director of Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, NCC said the suspension is in line with the Federal Government’s desire to consolidate the achievement of the SIM card registration exercise of September 2019 and it is absolutely necessary for operators to comply until the audit exercise had been concluded.

He noted that the objective of the audit exercise is to verify and ensure compliance by Mobile Network Operators with the set quality standards and requirements of SIM card registration as issued by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and the Commission.

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In his statement, he said that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami, directed the commission to embark on an audit of the Subscriber Registration Database. He, however, said an exemption might be granted following approval from the Federal Government through the commission.

Dr. Adinde warned that non-compliance with the directive would be met with strict sanctions, including the possibility of withdrawal of operating license. He added the audit would help to consolidate the achievement of the SIM Card registration exercise.

According to him, the directive became necessary in view of the preponderance of pre-registered SIMs with the attendant security implications associated with the use of the same to facilitate criminal activities.

Recalled that the commission had earlier directed, in January 2020 that all citizens to immediately secure Digital Identification from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and submit it to the network operators.