Nigeria: the regulator studies the possibility of limiting Nigerian telecoms subscribers to a single SIM card
January 24th 2024
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is exploring ways to limit the number of SIM cards per telecoms consumer in the country to one. Aminu Maida, executive vice-president of the regulator, made this revelation during a recent press conference organized in Lagos to mark his first 100 days at the helm of the institution.
“ We will leverage data to empower consumers to make the right choice, so we can move away from the world where we have multiple SIM devices. Rather than multiplying devices and SIM cards, we envision a situation where consumers will only have one SIM card and one device ,” Mr Maida said.
Mr. Maida did not specify the reasons why the telecoms regulator is seeking to limit the number of SIM cards in the country. However, the announcement comes in a context where the NCC has been carrying out a campaign to identify Nigerian telecom subscribers since December 2020 in order to combat insecurity, extortion and kidnappings in Nigeria. The campaign led to the partial blocking of 73 million SIM cards in April 2023. In December 2023, the regulator ordered the disconnection of unidentified SIM cards from February 28, 2024.
The phenomenon of multiple SIM cards is common in Nigeria where each citizen can have up to three SIM cards. The country has four active mobile operators, namely MTN, Globacom, Airtel and 9mobile with a total of 220.7 million subscribers, according to the latest NCC statistics dating back to August 2023.
If this initiative succeeds, it could help strengthen security in Nigeria. It could also lead to a reduction in the subscriber base of certain telecom operators and, consequently, their revenues. Finally, restricting the number of SIM cards per individual will make it possible to know the real number of people using mobile telephone services in the country.
Source: Agency EcoFin
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