06 February 2024

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is exploring ways to limit the number of SIM cards per telecoms consumer in the country to one, according to Aminu Maida, executive vice-president.

“We will leverage data to empower consumers to make the right choice, so we can move away from the world where we have multiple SIM devices. Rather than multiplying devices and SIM cards, we envision a situation where consumers will only have one SIM card and one device,” said Maida.

Maida did not specify why the NCC is seeking to limit the number of SIM cards in the country. However, the NCC has been carrying out a campaign to identify Nigerian telecom subscribers since December 2020 to combat insecurity, extortion and kidnappings in Nigeria. The campaign led to the partial blocking of 73 million SIM cards in

April 2023. In December 2023, the regulator ordered the disconnection of unidentified SIM cards from February 28, 2024.

If this initiative succeeds, it could help strengthen security. It could also lead to a reduction in the subscriber base of certain telecom operators and, consequently, their revenues. Additionally, restricting the number of SIM cards per individual will make it possible to know the real number of people using mobile telephone services in the country.