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Rumblings over deactivated SIM cards
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> By Sonny Aragba-Akpore
The Nigerian Communications Commission(NCC) regulations on inactive Subscriber Identification Module(SIM) card stipulates that any SIM card that has not had any form of economic activity within 180 days should be deactivated and reassigned by the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).
And this may have foreclosed any form of grumblings if we understood what the regulations meant.
> We should ordinarily absolve the commission from any harm or errors of the deactivation of 42 million subscribers by this understanding.
> However some Nigerians think the NCC may have erred in its judgment and so must be liable.
Some even think,the commission should unbar the cards with apologies to the beleaguered subscribers.
> But did the NCC actually over step its bounds or contradict itself when it says its mandate is to protect all consumers yet deactivated 42 million subscribers?
> A former Kaduna State Senator Shehu Sani has his observations about the NCC action especially as he compared the Commission,s position vis a vis those on bandits whose lines still ring despite NCC,s manifest deactivation of SIMcards not linked to National Identity Numbers(NIN).
The outspoken Senator tweeted recently “the NCC and the Telecom operators know how to quickly block SIM cards;the ones they are yet to know how to quickly block are those ones used by Bandits to collect ransom.”
Some weeks ago, despite the presence of military personnel and police patrols, two teenage sisters, aged 14 and 16, were kidnapped by gunmen in the Guita community of Chikakore, located in Kubwa, Bwari Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja and N30 million was required for the safe return of the kidnapped girls.
> And the Senator thinks,the NCC should go beyond deactivating SIM cards of those 42 million ‘innocent Nigerians ‘.
> Senator Sani is not alone.
Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged Dr. Aminu Maida, the Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) “to immediately revoke the apparently unlawful directive to network providers to bar the phone lines of millions of Nigerians who have linked their SIM cards to their National Identification Numbers (NINs).”
SERAP also urged him to “restore the phone lines of these Nigerians, and to urgently establish a mechanism for effective consultation to provide Nigerians who are yet to link their SIM cards to their NINs with the appropriate support and infrastructure and adequate time and opportunity to do so.”
The Commission had recently ordered telecommunications companies to bar the phone lines of millions of citizens including those who allegedly “did not submit a good NIN or didn’t get a cleared or verified NIN by February 28.”
SERAP said, “No agency has the right to strip the citizens of their basic constitutional rights under the guise of failing to properly link their SIM cards with their NINs or failing to do so timeously.”
> SERAP said, “No agency has the right to strip the citizens of their basic constitutional rights under the guise of failing to properly link their SIM cards with their NINs or failing to do so timeously.”
> SERAP, in a letter it wrote to the NCC stated that “the blocking of phone lines of Nigerians must only be a last resort measure, and strictly in line with the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended], international human rights and due process safeguards.”
The letter, read in part: “The arbitrary barring of people’s phone lines is never a proportionate measure as it imposes disastrous consequences and severely hinders the effective enjoyment of economic, social, and cultural rights, as well as civil and political rights.”
“Blanket measures of barring the phone lines of millions of Nigerians are inconsistent and incompatible with the Nigerian Constitution and human rights treaties to which the country is a state party.”
> “We would be grateful if the recommended measures are taken within 7 days of the receipt and/or publication of this letter. If we have not heard from you by then, SERAP shall consider appropriate legal actions to compel the NCC to comply with our request in the public interest.”
The NCC guidelines, titled, ‘Quality of Service Business Rules’, stipulate the minimum quality and standards of service, associated measurements, and key performance indicators for measuring the quality of service.
Per the guidelines, if a subscriber remains inactive for an additional six months, there is a possibility of losing their number, unless there is a network-related issue preventing the activation of the Registered Glove Enclave (RGE).
> “A subscriber’s line may be deactivated if it has not been used, within six months, for a Revenue Generating Event (RGE), and if the situation persists for another six months, the subscriber may lose their number, except for a network-related fault inhibiting an RGE,” the guidelines stipulated.
While this remains a big subject as it relates to inactive phone numbers in Nigeria, following the arrest of one Anthony Okolie, a Delta State-based trader, by the Department of State Services (DSS), for using a SIM previously owned by Hanan Buhari, the president’s daughter,the NCC has said there was nothing wrong in recycling SIM cards already deactivated
“Based on the new guidelines, the NCC said that telcos have the authority to reassign dormant SIM cards without recourse to the previous owners, as long as the inactivity falls within the stipulated period of six months@
> according to analysts.
> SERAP thinks “the arbitrary directive and the barring of the phone lines are extreme measures which must meet the strict legal requirements of legality, necessity and proportionality.”
“The NCC has also apparently failed to conduct an impact assessment of these extreme measures in order to avoid their arbitrary or excessive effects. These extreme measures go against the regulatory objectives of the Nigerian Communications Act and violate Nigerians’ fundamental human rights.”
“The NCC has clearly failed to abide by the Nigerian Constitution, human rights standards, democratic processes, the rule of law and due process safeguards.”
> “There is no legal justification for the arbitrary barring of phone lines of millions of Nigerians, especially those who have linked their SIM cards with their NINs.”
“The NCC has a direct responsibility to respect the rights to freedom of expression, information and privacy and to take effective measures to protect these fundamental human rights against attacks by third parties such as network providers.”
Chief Adeolu Ogunbanjo, President of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers has stated that the group will seek redress in court
> soon if the SIM card blockade deadline is not extended.
> Ogunbanjo also confirmed ALTON’s position on the increased number of deactivated telephone numbers, saying the number of barred subscribers was so large that millions of subscribers are now in limbo.
Urging the NCC to consider the plight of telecoms consumers, and grant a 31-day extension for the exercise, he stated: “We have appealed to the Nigerian Communications Commission to extend the deadline till March 31.
> “But if this is not done, we will observe the situation for the next three days, that is Monday to Wednesday, and if this is not granted, we will have to file a case in court on Thursday.”
Ogunbanjo further said: “We have, and still appealing that this deadline be extended. We understand their position concerning security issues but a 31-day extension would not harm anyone and that is why we didn’t ask for three months.
“The NCC boss should please give us this gift as a resumption gift and not punish subscribers.”
The Nigerian gt had in December 2020 instructed residents and mobile users to link their SIM cards to their National Identity Number (NIN) as part of efforts to curb the rising security issues in the country.
> In fact, the NCC claimed that the SIM-NIN linkage frustrated the efforts of terrorists in Nigeria’s North East.
> Aside from Nigeria, other African countries are deploying SIM registration as a strategy to curb several vices, including cyber crimes.
> Not too long ago , Ghana’s Ministry for Communications announced that to ensure digital security, all SIM cards which have not been fully registered and linked with the Ghana Card will be blocked from the end of October 2022.
> A five-year jail term was also prescribed for vendors that are selling pre-registered SIM cards. The ministry disclosed that a total of 19 million SIM Cards were fully registered—representing 45% of the total SIM cards issued in Ghana.
In Kenya, the Communications Authority of Kenya blocked an undisclosed number of SIM cards in a move meant to curb illegal activities perpetrated by fraudsters with unregistered lines following its Saturday, October 15, 2022 deadline.
> Although this precaution is relevant for cyber protection, the aforementioned numbers show popular unwillingness towards SIM registrations, experts attribute this to a lack of trust in government authorities considering the violation of human rights on the continent.
> “Even if people are not actually being surveilled by the government, the fact that people may fear they are being tracked has a chilling effect on innocent and ordinary behaviour, including what information people look up on the Internet, who they contact, and how they express themselves,” Privacy International a UK-based data protection charity, said in a statement. “Journalists and human rights defenders may feel it is unsafe to communicate with confidential sources.”
African countries with mandatory SIM registration laws include
> Algeria, Angola, Benin, Botswana, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Cameroon, Central African Republic, Chad, Congo, Côte d’Ivoire, Democratic Republic of Congo, Egypt, Equatorial Guinea, Eritrea, Ethiopia, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Kenya, Lesotho, Liberia, Libya, Madagascar, Malawi, Mali, Mauritania, Mauritius, Morocco, Mozambique, Niger, Nigeria, Rwanda, Sao Tome and Principe, Senegal, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan, Sudan, Swaziland, Tanzania, Togo, Tunisia, Uganda, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
> Amidst the widespread adoption of this law on the continent, critics have challenged the strategy especially because it has not adequately curbed the challenges that it intends to tackle stating that the risks of SIM card registration, which outweigh any possible benefits.
> In South Africa, the Right2Know Campaign took telecom operators—MTN, Cell C and Telkom—on the transparency in handling data provided during SIM registrations. Pre-paid SIM cards are preferred by many mobile phone users.
According to GSMA, 73% of mobile subscriptions globally are pre-paid. In Africa, 94% of mobile subscriptions are pre-paid.
The deactivation of 42 million subscribers may have impacted negatively on Nigeria,s teledensity.
In August 2023, the teledensity stood at 115.63% but dropped to 102.97% in November 2023. This adjustment stems from the prediction by the Nigerian Population Commission (NPC), projecting Nigeria’s population at 216.7 million as at 2022, replacing the previously used projection of 2017 190 million population.
Teledensity refers to the number of telephone connections for every hundred individuals within a specific geographical area, usually a country or region. It is a measure used to assess the level of telecommunications penetration or usage within a population.
A higher teledensity indicates greater access to telecommunications services within a population, reflecting the level of communication infrastructure development and the extent of connectivity among individuals. It is also an important indicator used by policymakers, telecommunications companies, and analysts to evaluate the progress of telecommunications infrastructure deployment and assess the level of connectivity within a given area.
…363 bills passed as lawmakers defend productivity
By Gloria Ikibah
The House of Representatives has defended the performance of the 10th National Assembly, revealing that lawmakers introduced 2,747 bills and passed 363 within the first three years of its tenure, describing the figures as proof of an active legislature focused on delivering reforms that directly affect Nigerians.
Chairman House Committee on Rules and Business, Rep. Francis Waive, disclosed the figures on Monday during a media briefing in Abuja to mark the close of the third legislative session.
According to Rep. Waive, the bills introduced since June 2023 comprise 57 executive bills, 95 Senate concurrence bills and 2,595 private member bills.
He said the House passed 89 bills during its first legislative session, 148 in the second and 126 in the just-concluded third session, bringing the total to 363.
Breaking down activities for the third session, the Chairman said lawmakers introduced 484 bills, made up of 31 executive bills, 391 private member bills and 62 Senate concurrence bills.
He added that the House also considered 220 motions, referring 192 to standing committees and 28 to adhoc committees, while 121 were admitted as matters of urgent public importance. Lawmakers also deliberated on 48 public petitions.
Among the major legislative milestones recorded during the session, Waive listed the passage of the 2026 Appropriation Bill, the Electoral Act 2026, constitutional amendment proposals to pave the way for state police, tax reform legislation and the Minimum Wage Act.
He said the measures were aimed at strengthening governance and improving the welfare of Nigerians.
“We are sharing this data with Nigerians because the House of Representatives is working. This is the scorecard for the session”, he stated.
Also speaking, the Spokesperson of the House, Rep. Akin Rotimi said the impact of several laws passed by the House was already being felt across the country.
He cited the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) as one example, noting that the scheme, which was established through legislation initiated by the House, had already supported more than 1.6 million Nigerians, with over N303 billion disbursed in student loans.
Rotimi explained that the number of bills eventually passed should not be compared directly with the number introduced because many separate proposals are often harmonised into a single piece of legislation during the legislative process.
He also revealed that more than 300 constitutional amendment bills were currently undergoing consideration.
Looking ahead, the House Spokesperson said lawmakers were already reviewing priorities for the fourth legislative session.
“We’ve covered a lot of ground, but there is still a lot more to do. We are reviewing our legislative agenda internally to ensure that key promises made to Nigerians are delivered before the end of this Assembly”, he added.
Responding to questions from journalists, Waive said the Committee on Rules and Business does not keep records of bills that have received presidential assent, explaining that such information is maintained by the Clerk to the National Assembly and the Presidency.
He also addressed concerns over concurrence bills awaiting action in the Senate, saying the House fulfils its responsibility once passed bills are transmitted through the Clerk of the National Assembly.
On the growing number of establishment bills creating new federal institutions, Waive defended the trend, arguing that many had translated into tangible projects, including several Federal Medical Centres now serving communities across the country.
The lawmakers also dismissed allegations that members paid money to have bills listed for consideration. Waive said comments previously attributed to one lawmaker had been misconstrued.
According to him, the member was referring to the political effort, consultations and lobbying required to build support for legislation rather than the payment of bribes.
Rotimi, who disclosed that he had personally sponsored more than 40 bills, also rejected the allegation.
He maintained that every bill passes through established constitutional and parliamentary procedures before it can be scheduled for first reading.
On the proposed establishment of State Police, Waive clarified that the constitutional amendment approved by the House merely provides the legal foundation for the initiative.
He explained that the operational structure and relationship between federal and state police formations would be addressed through separate amendments to the Police Act.
Rotimi added that the House intends to vote on about 40 constitutional amendment bills during the fourth legislative session, including proposals for reserved seats for women and other governance reforms, which he described as critical to strengthening Nigeria’s democratic institutions.
By Gloria Ikibah
The Nigeria Customs Service has surpassed its 2025 revenue target by more than 10 per cent, raking in N7.277 trillion against a target of N6.584 trillion, even as it sought the approval of the House of Representatives for its proposed N11.274 trillion revenue and expenditure framework for the 2026 fiscal year.
The Comptroller-General of Customs, Bashir Adewale Adeniyi, disclosed this on Monday while defending the agency’s 2026 budget estimates before the House Committee on Customs and Excise in Abuja.
Opening the session, the Committee Chairman, Rep. Leke Abejide, said the exercise was part of the National Assembly’s constitutional oversight responsibility.
He said: “It is not a long speech day. It is simply a day to carry out what Sections 88 and 89 of the 1999 Constitution mandate us to do, which is to scrutinise your budget proposal.”
Reps. Abejide added that after the committee concluded its review, its recommendations will be presented to the House for consideration and approval.
Presenting the agency’s performance, Adeniyi said Customs generated N7.277 trillion between January and December 2025, exceeding its revenue target by 10.24 per cent despite a series of government fiscal incentives that reduced potential earnings.
He explained that duty waivers on healthcare products, compressed natural gas (CNG) vehicles, electric vehicles and import duty exemption certificates all affected revenue collections.
According to him, the suspension of excise duties on telecommunications services and other tax relief measures also impacted earnings of theService.
Adeniyi further revealed that although the National Assembly approved an expenditure budget of N1.132 trillion for Customs in 2025, the agency received only N808.86 billion, representing about 71.4 per cent of the approved amount.
He attributed the shortfall to delays in implementing the funding provisions contained in the Nigeria Customs Service Act.
“The variance between what was approved and what we received resulted from the delayed implementation of the new funding structure”, he noted.
He further explained that the Service continued to operate under the former seven per cent cost-of-collection model until August 2025 before transitioning to the new four per cent Free-on-Board (FOB) funding framework introduced by the Act.
The Comptroller-General also clarified that concessionary fees, previously paid through the Comprehensive Import Supervision Scheme account managed by the Federal Ministry of Finance and the Central Bank of Nigeria, are now settled directly by the Customs Service under the new legal framework.
During the budget defence, lawmakers sought explanations on the disparity between the approved budget, actual releases and expenditure, as well as details surrounding concessionary fees.
In response, the Chairman reminded the lawmakers that while the National Assembly approved N1.132 trillion, only N808.86 billion was eventually released, urging the Service to account for how the available funds were utilised.
Looking ahead, Adeniyi said Customs had set an ambitious revenue target of N11.274 trillion for 2026.
He explained that the projection comprises N5.542 trillion from Federation Account collections, N1.495 trillion from non-Federation revenue, N2.973 trillion from import Value Added Tax and N1.264 trillion from the four per cent FOB collection.
According to him, the Service intends to achieve the target through technology-driven reforms, including the full deployment of the Unified Customs Management System, stronger post-clearance audit processes, improved trade facilitation and closer engagement with stakeholders.
Adeniyi also announced reductions in import levies on vehicles under the 2026 fiscal policy.
He said the levy on used vehicles had been reduced from 15 per cent to five per cent, while that on new vehicles had been cut from 20 per cent to 10 per cent.
The announcement drew praise from lawmakers, with Abejide urging the Customs Service to publicise the development.
“I want the general public to know that the government is doing something good for them”, the Chairman said.
Adeniyi acknowledged that while the reductions would provide relief to importers and consumers, they would inevitably affect Customs revenue.
He said the measures formed part of broader fiscal policies coordinated by the Federal Ministry of Finance to support national priorities, including improved healthcare, transportation through the CNG initiative and other strategic government interventions.
For the 2026 fiscal year, the Customs Service proposed N421.7 billion for personnel costs, N307.77 billion for overheads and more than ₦620 billion for capital expenditure.
According to the Comptroller-General, priority would be given to completing ongoing projects, expanding infrastructure, improving staff welfare and enhancing operational efficiency.
He appealed to lawmakers to approve the proposal, expressing confidence that the budget would strengthen the Service’s capacity to boost revenue generation, facilitate legitimate trade and contribute more effectively to Nigeria’s economic growth.
News
Just in: Tinubu Orders Probe Against Google, Facebook, X, AI Platforms Over Use of Nigerian Content
Just in: Tinubu Orders Probe Against Google, Facebook, X, AI Platforms Over Use of Nigerian Content companies and Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) platforms over allegations of anti-competitive practices and the unlawful use of content belonging to Nigerian media organisations.
The directive follows a joint petition submitted to the Presidency by the Nigerian Press Organisation (NPO), comprising the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria (NPAN), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria (BON), and the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP).
In a statement issued on Monday, the FCCPC’s Director of Corporate Affairs, Ondaje Ijagwu, said the investigation would cover major technology companies, including Meta, Alphabet, the parent company of Google, X (formerly Twitter), as well as Generative AI platforms operating in Nigeria.
According to the commission, the probe is aimed at examining allegations that the companies engage in anti-competitive practices, unlawfully exploit news content, and operate in ways that may undermine fair competition within Nigeria’s digital media landscape.
“The big technology companies have come under the radar of the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Commission following allegations of anti-competitive practices, unlawful exploitation of news content, and other potentially unfair market conduct,” the statement said. It added that the investigation was initiated following President Tinubu’s directive in response to concerns raised by Nigerian media organisations.
The media bodies argued that the activities of some global technology firms threaten the commercial sustainability of local news organisations and undermine the rights of publishers and content creators.
According to the FCCPC, the Nigerian media industry has become increasingly concerned about the growing influence of digital platforms on the country’s news ecosystem.
The commission noted that the petition specifically accused companies such as Meta, Alphabet, X, and certain AI platforms of engaging in practices capable of weakening competition, reducing revenue opportunities for publishers, and using copyrighted news content without adequate authorisation or compensation. FCCPC Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Tunji Bello, assured that the investigation would be conducted independently and based strictly on available evidence.
He said the commission recognises both the importance of a vibrant media industry to Nigeria’s democracy and the critical role technology plays in innovation and economic development. “Our responsibility is to objectively determine the facts and ensure that competition within the digital ecosystem remains fair, transparent, and consistent with Nigerian law,” Bello said.
He stressed that the inquiry should not be interpreted as an assumption of wrongdoing by any of the companies involved.
According to him, every organisation under investigation will be given a fair opportunity to present relevant information before any conclusions are reached.
The FCCPC said its investigation will focus on whether the conduct of the companies violates the Federal Competition and Consumer Protection Act 2018, allegations of market dominance and anti-competitive behaviour, the unauthorised extraction and commercial use of copyrighted news content for training AI models, and complaints that Nigerian publishers are being denied fair compensation for the value generated from their content.
The commission noted that the move aligns with similar regulatory actions in other countries. It cited South Africa, where Google agreed to pay news organisations about R688 million (approximately $40 million) annually to support the local news industry.
The investigation also comes months after the FCCPC imposed a $220 million penalty on Meta over alleged regulatory violations, a decision the technology company is currently challenging.
Through the latest probe, the Federal Government says it aims to ensure that international technology companies operating in Nigeria comply with local competition laws while guaranteeing that Nigerian media organisations receive fair value for the content they produce.
10th Reps Boast Record Lawmaking with 2,747 Bills in Threen three years
Customs Beat 2025 Revenue Target, Seek Reps’ Nod For N11.27tn 2026 Budget
Just in: Tinubu Orders Probe Against Google, Facebook, X, AI Platforms Over Use of Nigerian Content
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