The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) – the country's mobile regulator, yesterday said that new Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards would no longer be allowed to make calls, signifying the beginning of SIM card registration. Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC) of the NCC, Eugene Juwah, who spoke recently in Lagos to reporters, said with the approval of the budget of the commission with about N6.1 billion provision for the exercise, the coast was clear for the full commencement of the exercise, which had largely been carried out by the operators. He disclosed that the operators had registered about 12 percent of the more than 80 million active lines in the country. The NCC, under its former EVC, Ernest Ndukwe, had in December 2009 announced it would commence SIM card registration in March 1, 2010, and would ensure that SIM cards were registered before they were activated for use. While some Nigerians see the decision as a welcome development that will boost security in the country, others view it with skepticism, saying it will cut down on their revenue generation. Telecom operators who spoke under condition of anonymity said they generate a lot of money from direct sales of SIM cards from street to street and in busy market places, but expressed fears that such hawking would stop with the implementation of SIM card registration. With SIM card registration, the authorized dealer who sells SIM cards must get security details of every buyer and forward such details to the operating company, which must register the details against the SIM card before activating it. BM
