FG directs NCC to block 9.2m sim cards

The Federal Government has directed telecommunication operators, through the Nigeria Communication Commission (NCC) to block about 9.2 million sim cards without proper registration. The directive followed the submission of the short-term performance by the NCC as directed by the Minister of Communications Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami. Recall that Pantami had directed all Agencies and Parastatals under his purview to submit their baseline short-term performance targets report.

Based on the directive, the NCC submitted its report in which it stated the figures of improperly registered SIM cards in use around the country. The Commission in its report disclosed that an estimated nine million two hundred thousand (9.2M) SIM cards did not comply with the proper procedures of SIM registration. To ensure maximum compliance, Dr Pantami directed NCC to ensure all mobile network operators block all SIM cards that do not meet proper registration standards until users comply with proper re-registration procedures. The security implication of this irregularity is too grave to ignore and the Federal Ministry of Communications will not tolerate any actions or inaction that will compromise the nation’s security.