The Nigerian government through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has approved has approved a SIM Replacement Policy for subscribers whose SIMs have been lost, stolen, misplaced or damaged.
The approval, which is based on recommendations from the Technical Committee headed by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Pantami and charged with the operationalization of the process to ensure an expedited linkage of all SIM Registration Records with NIN, is subject to the following conditions:
- i) That the subscriber present a NIN;
- ii) That an effective verification of the NIN is carried out by NIMC; and
iii) That the relevant Guidelines and Regulations of NCC concerning SIM Replacement are fully adhered to.
This decision was also taken after a meeting of the Ministerial Task Force, which comprises of representatives from Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC); National Identity Management Commission (NIMC); The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON); and Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).
According to a statement announcing the approval, which was jointly signed by Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director of Public Affairs at NCC and Mr. Kayode Adegoke of NIMC, the Federal Government drive to ensure all Subscriber registrations are linked with National Identification Numbers (NINs) is moving forward and all stakeholders in the industry are working together to ensure the process is carried out as seamlessly as possible.
This policy is part of the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce the burden on subscribers and simplify the exercise. It is aimed at enabling telecommunications service users who need to replace their damaged, stolen or misplaced SIMs to re-establish access to telecom services.