Following the Federal Government’s decision to extend the NIN-SIM linkage to May 6, the decision to restart the process of selling and registering new SIMs has been announced.
Starting Monday, the 19th of April, 2021, Nigerians and foreigners alike will be able to buy and register new SIM cards. The clause to this is that, the National Identity Number (NIN) will be required to be able to buy and register new SIM cards. The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, alongside other industry stakeholders, has made the National Identity Number (NIN) compulsory for acquiring and activating new SIMs for individuals, corporate bodies and for replacement for lost or stolen SIM cards.
As part of the new system for registering new SIMs, corporate organizations will need to appoint a Telecoms Master at the executive management level that will take the onus of providing the operational primary NIN representation for the company’s lines. For Internet of Things (IoT), the government will also enforce security protocols to ensure that SIM will only work for point-to-point data services and bar all other SIM services. The standard NIN registrations will only apply to users using their SIMs for IoT devices such as their MiFi, or home/car tracking WiFi. The Telecoms Master will take over for the registration of IoT for corporate companies.
Individuals and Telecom companies are elated by this news because the NIN-SIM linkage that was introduced in December last year has affected their endeavours and businesses in various ways. Telecom companies have lost quite a lot in revenue from SIM cards and its activation. Now that the government has said the sales and registration of new SIMs can go on, Telecom companies are ready to make the most out of the new situation.
Starting Monday, individuals and corporate bodies will be able to purchase and activate new SIMs. While the government promises to give more details on the policy, individuals and businesses alike are glad that they can finally be able to buy and activate new SIM cards after the long wait.
