Telcos comply with FG’s directive, suspend SIM card registration

Telecommunications operators in the country have complied with the Federal Government’s directive that suspended the registration and activation of new Subscribers Identification Modules (SIM) cards.

A visit to MTN outlets both at Fatai Atere, Matori and Airport road, Lagos showed that SIM cards were not being sold. Also Globacom office on Airport road was not activating any new SIM.

The roadside sellers usually at Oshodi, 7/8 bus stop, Cele Express and Ejigbo were not at their usual stands as at the time of filing this story.The service providers, under the aegis Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), had announced that in line with the Federal Government’s desire to consolidate the achievement of the SIM card registration exercise of September 2019, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) would embark on another audit of the Subscriber Registration Database again.

Chairman and Publicity Secretary of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo and Damian Udeh, respectively, said the NCC has directed all telecom operators to immediately suspend the sale and activation of new SIM cards on their respective networks to enable a smooth and seamless audit exercise

ALTON noted that it was expecting that the suspension would be lifted upon the conclusion of the audit. The telecoms body said it regretted any inconveniences the disruption would cause their Nigerian subscribers and called for their understanding.