Nigeria is to start requiring ownership details of prepaid SIM cards to be registered with network operators in 2010.
The registration process will start in March and will last six months. SIM cards that are not registered after then will be shut out of the mobile networks.
The Head of Consumer Affairs at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Lolia Emakpore said “The SIM card registration is in line with complaints that the commission had gotten that mobile phones are used to aid crimes and government has instructed the commission to adopt a mode to help stop crime.”
“Nigeria does not have an effective database and that is why we think six months is enough to cover the six geo-political zones in the country and even get to the local government areas,” she said.
Telecoms operators are pessimistic on whether the process will be well conducted.
According to Ms. Emakpore, the process will require subscribers to produce their National Identity card. Biometrics will also be taken to curb fraud during the process of registration.
Nigeria’s SIM card registration initiative follows similar actions announced in July by South Africa mandating proof of ID for SIM card purchases.
Read more on Telecommunications in Nigeria
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)
Source(s): Cellular News
#1 by Dele Alabi on January 2nd, 2010
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I applaud the decision to register all gsm users but I doubt it is going to curb crime. It is not just lack of national database that is the problem. Does everyone in this country have genuine identity card? National ID is a failure and so is driver’s license. Anyone can get drivers license with fake name and address. In fact, pictures on both National Id and driver’s license are often mangled. Our cities are not well planned let alone the local government areas. How would addresses provided be valid? Another one is that six months is not enough to register everyone. People are too busy running around just to find daily bread, queuing for petrol and now you ask them to join endless queues to register. What about NEPA or PHCN! Well, you may say all that is needed is for users to collect forms and then submit passport photographs. But anyone can submit any fake passport with fake or unrecognized address. After all “big men” will not show up in person and crooks would not show up either.
What about corruption factor? You can always pay anyone to do anything for you in this country.
GSM providers can already trace calls to the nearest tower or mast! That is more crucial than registration
Yes, Nigeria needs a credible database, ID card system but not until we put our house in order. We need social security numbers, we need our cities to be re-planned, we need to get rid of corruption. In fact corruption is what is breeding criminals! We need state police! Nigeria needs to build a free and fair society one which encourage virtue of hard work. As such, quota system, federal characters and all unfair laws need to be abrogated so that a Nigerian is judged not by the region or tribe he comes from but by his or her ability. I am not a prophet but watch out— this exercise is not going to work
#2 by Ibrahim Shittu on July 23rd, 2010
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The sim card registration is a good thing. But it cannot curb crime in this country. It can only minimize it through this channel. The criminals will start devicing new avenues to beat the system. However, i am of the opinion that provision for online registration of sim should be provided. There should also be incentive to motivate people to register their sim cards. This could speed up the exercise. And hence forth sim cards should be registered at the point of purchase.
#3 by Ibrahim Shittu on July 23rd, 2010
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Trying to mandate every body to register their sim is to try to pour sand in the GSM company garri. Their income could drop drastically if the lines of the unregistered majority is deactivated. And this is not good for the economy. With decline in income, the workforce could be downsized. And that means increase in unemployment which could metamophors to high level of crime. Come to look at it, the biggest criminals are in the government. Lets try to flush the big criminals first, then we can now think of the common thief.