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TELECOMMS REGULATORS TO
REQUIRE SIM CARD
REGISTRATION IN A BID TO CURB
CELL PHONE-RELATED CRIMES
September 2010 Vol. 14: Issue 9
The recent direction by the Ministry of
Information and Communications to the
effect that all mobile telecoms operators
selling new Subscriber Identification
Module (SIM) cards must obtain the
data of prospective subscribers and that
all previously obtained SIM cards must
be registered without delay is no doubt
a good policy aimed at reducing the
incidents of technology related crimes.
These crimes ranging from fraud,
kidnapping, threats, and intimidation
have for long affected Nigerians
preventing free movement, business and
social interaction.
While acknowledging the benefits of
SIM card registration, it must not be
forgotten that the successful
implementation and continuity of the
policy may pose a great challenge to its
realization since there is no organized
framework in place for its functioning.
For instance, countless number of SIM
cards used in the country is obtained
from unregistered outlets from street
hawkers who lack the necessary
facilities to capture data from
©Blackfriars LLP 2010. All rights reserved. This document is for general guidance only. Definitive advice
should be sought from counsel if required. Blackfriars LLP is a Nigerian law firm with a representative
office in Toronto, Canada.
prospective buyers. Again, assuming the
facilities for registration are in place,
people could easily falsify their
identities as there is no comprehensive
database of Nigerians that could assist
in verification of identities.
Regrettably, some of the telecoms
operators who have a major role to play
towards the registration are resisting the
idea, probably to avoid disclosing the
true position of their subscriber base.
In the light of these challenges, it is
necessary to establish a right framework
for the proper take-off of the policy. The
cooperation of the stakeholders in
telecommunications should be secured
to guarantee success. Thereafter, well
defined and identifiable outlets that
could return captured data to the main
operators should be established.
To solve the problem of
identification, at least for future
purposes, comprehensive data of births
and deaths should be obtained and
information collated should be
transferred to a reliable national
database.
For further inquiries, please contact:
Dr. Ikechi Mgbeoji
Email: Ikechi@blackfriars-law.com
Tel: +234 1 736 9797
Cell: +234 807 2995 1335
Fax: +1 646 536 8978
 WWW.BLACKFRIARS-LAW.COM

Ms. Nkay Onyeaso

Tel: +234 1 739 0397
Cell: +234 808 718 0833
Email: Nkay@blackfriars-law.com
Fax: ++1 646 536 8978

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©Blackfriars LLP 2010. All rights reserved. This document is for general guidance only. Definitive advice
should be sought from counsel if required. Blackfriars LLP is a Nigerian law firm with a representative
office in Toronto, Canada.