FG Restricts Mobile Phone Users To 3 Numbers

February 6, 2020

The Federal Government has limited the maximum numbers of SIM Cards a single individual could register as his or her to three to curb kidnapping and banditry.

This was a directive issued by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami to the Nigerian Communications Commission yesterday.

Pantami, in a statement signed by his Technical Assistant on Information Technology, Femi Adeluyi, directed the NCC to revise the policy on SIM Card registration and usage by blocking all the loopholes in the current policy.

He 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 the Minister, is expected ensure that the National Identity Number becomes a prerequisite for Nigerians registering new SIM cards

Pantami further disclosed that for foreigners, their passports and visas should be used, while already registered SIM cards are to be updated with National Identity Number before 1st December, 2020.

He also directed that NCC must 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.