Nigeria SIM Card Registration
The decision of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to commence the registration of all Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card holders in the country is a commendable step towards bringing sanity to the Global System for Mobile (GSM) Communication and Code Diversion Multiple Access (CDMA) sectors and addressing the security crisis in Nigeria, according to the All Africa.
According to the Head, Media and Public Relations of the Commission, Mr. Reuben Muoka, those seeking registration of their SIM cards would need to produce valid identification documents including E-passport, corporate/company or work place identity cards that have pension identification/tax numbers; student ID cards from recognized institutions; drivers license issued by the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and e-tax cards.
The registration process will also include the capture of the photograph and biometrics of the subscriber while proxy registration would be restricted to direct family members of those seeking registration.
Existing SIM cards would also be registered, but the statement explained that the procedure and timing of this exercise would be communicated to the public and relevant stakeholders in due course.
With this policy master stroke, a deadly blow would be dealt, especially to kidnappers and other criminals who use anonymous SIM cards to negotiate with friends and relatives of their victims and throw away such cards that cannot be traced to them the moment they conclude the transactions.
The relatively cheap cost of those SIM cards has made it possible and, indeed, easy for anyone, including children and youths to purchase as many as they wish, and use these sometimes for nefarious activities, including blackmailing, threatening or terrorizing innocent members of the public, knowing full well that it would be difficult to trace them once they dump the SIM cards.
Another group that has found the regime of unregistered cards profitable are advance free fraudsters, otherwise known as 419 ers. These dupes also beguile their victims into believing that they are who they are not for the purpose of dispossessing them of their money or belongings. They, too, use and dump SIM cards as often as they please, to avoid being tracked down with the cards. And they easily evade identification through the SIM cards they use because they are not registered.
But once a SIM card is properly registered with the valid identification documents, photographs and biometric data of the owner, it would be a lot easier to track down anyone who uses it for criminal activities. Indeed, the knowledge that a SIM card is registered and can be traced would even be sufficient disincentive to use it for unlawful purposes.
The fact that people buy, use and dispose of SIM cards at will has also made it difficult to know to a reasonable degree, exactly how many subscribers the country has. Registration of the SIM cards will therefore help the NCC and the mobile telecommunication services providers to know exactly how many active SIM cards they have in use nationwide.
Nigeria would not be the first country to embark on the registration of SIM cards and now that the NCC has decided to commence the process, all stakeholders must support the policy and ensure that it works, in the overall interest of the country.
There may be some rough edges or pains associated with the process, but the overall goal must be kept in view at all times. For instance, this directive would require that all telecom operating companies invest in appropriate technology for the capturing of the data required for registration.
And because the use of SIM cards is now nationwide, including in the remote parts of the country, these companies would have to put machinery in motion to ensure that those who want to buy and register their SIM cards even in those remote corners of the country can do so without too much hassles.
The success of the programme, to a large extent, would depend on the co-operation of the operating companies who might feel that the policy would slow down the rate of sales of their SIM cards.
This is because the sale of SIM cards under umbrellas or by hawkers may be stopped, unless the companies would provide the data capturing machines as close to the vendors as is possible. It means that these vendors may also feel some of the pinch that would come with the process.
It also means that the sale of SIM cards by youths on promotion drives in open vans may equally be stopped or modified such that the data capturing or registration machines would be handy.
Many may feel some frustration over the inevitable delay between the time of purchase of the SIMs and their activation.
Whatever may be the draw back, however, the advantages, in our view, far outweigh any such temporary pains that may be felt by the operators, the vendors or the subscribers.
People and organizations would usually resist change, especially the type that would cost them money, time or some inconvenience irrespective of the expected benefits. This, therefore, requires that massive public enlightenment must accompany this policy to explain to all the stakeholders the advantages of this registration exercise, to make it easier for them to embrace it.
The NCC must be firm concerning the deadline and be ready to bare their fangs if necessary, by way of sanctions on any company that resists or attempts to sabotage the policy. The security of Nigerians has been taken for granted for so long, and it is clear that the registration of SIM cards can dramatically reduce some criminal activities being perpetrated in the society.
We, therefore, support this policy wholely and urge all stakeholders to work hard to ensure that it succeeds.
