Following the earlier directive on the suspension of new SIM registration by network operators, all SIMs without NINs are to be blocked from the networks after 30 December, 2020.
Consequently, a Ministerial Task Force comprising the Minister and all the CEOs of communication companies has been set up to monitor compliance.
These decisions were taken in a meeting convened by the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) of key stakeholders in the Communications industry.
During the meeting, the need to consolidate the achievements of last year’s SIM registration audit and improve the performance and sanity of the sector was exhaustively discussed.
In the same vien, all stakeholders agreed that urgent drastic measures have now become inevitable to improve the integrity and transparency of the SIM registration process.
Other decisions taken include; affirmation of the earlier directive to totally suspend 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) and violations of this directive will be met by stiff sanctions, including the possibility of withdrawal of operating license.
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.
Pantami therefore urged the general public to ensure that their NINs are captured in their SIM registration data and apologized for all inconveniences which might be occasioned by this directive.
