No Nigerian must have more than 3 mobile numbers – Pantami

Fri, Feb 7, 2020
By publisher
2 MIN READ

Business Briefs

IN a bid to curb kidnapping, banditry and terrorism in Nigeria, the federal government has limited the maximum numbers of SIM Cards a single individual could register as his or hers to three. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, minister of communications and digital economy, has directed the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, to revise the policy on SIM Card registration and usage by blocking all the loopholes in the current policy.

Pantami, in a statement signed by Femi Adeluyi, his technical assistant on information technology, said the revision of the policy was based on the feedback received from the security agencies following the successful revalidation of improperly registered SIM cards in September 2019 and the blocking of those that failed to revalidate their SIMs.

The updated policy, according to him, is expected to ensure that the National Identity Number, NIN, becomes a prerequisite for Nigerians registering new SIM cards (while for foreigners, their passports and visas should be used), while already registered SIM cards are to be updated with NIN before December 1, 2020.

He also directed the NCC to ensure that only fully accredited agents support the SIM card registration process without pre-registering SIM cards themselves, while the eventual registration should be done by the operators. Pantami also said the NCC must ensure that there should be a maximum number of SIM cards that can be tied to a single individual, possibly a maximum of three. The telecom industry regulator must also ensure that no unregistered SIMs is ever allowed on mobile networks.

“Ensure that subscribers can easily check the number of SIM cards registered to their name, along with the associated phone numbers and networks. Ensure that mobile network operators fortify their networks against cyber-attacks and ensure that they adhere to the provisions of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation, NDPR. Ensure that SIM cards that have been used to perpetrate crimes are permanently deactivated,” he said.

The minister therefore ordered the NCC to provide him with progress reports on the implementation of the revised policy.

– Feb. 7, 2020 @ 18:25 GMT |

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