Nigerian government orders suspension of SIM Cards registration
The Nigerian government has ordered mobile telecommunication operators in the country to henceforth stop the sale and registration of new SIM cards, and this is said to be in line with desire to consolidate the achievement of the SIM Card registration exercise of September, 2019
Penpushing reports that, the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy Dr Isa Pantami, gave the directives, in a statement, explaining that, in the same vein, registration and activation of new SIM Cards be suspended until the audit exercise is concluded,
‘In line with the Federal Government desire to consolidate the achievement of the SIM Card registration exercise of September, 2019, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy has directed the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to embark on another audit of the Subscriber Registration Database again;, the statement said.
‘The objective of the audit exercise is to verify and ensure compliance by Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) 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’.
‘Accordingly, MNOs are hereby directed to immediately suspend the sale, registration and activation of new SIM Cards until the audit exercise is concluded, and Government has conveyed the new direction’.
Penpushing further reports that, the statement, however, explained that where it is absolutely necessary, exemption may be granted in writing by the Commission following approval from the Federal Government.
The Mobile Network (MNOs) are equally told to note that non-compliance with this directive will be met with strict sanctions, including the possibility of withdrawal of operating license.
‘As the Minister has earlier directed in January, 2020, all citizens are urged to immediately secure Digital Identification from the National Identity Management Commission and submit it to the Network Operators’, the statement emphasised.
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