MTN Seeks 6 Months Add ID Numbers to SIM Cards

MTN could be compliant with Nigeria’s order for telecoms firms to add National Identification Numbers (NIN) to all registered SIM cards within six months, Karl Toriola, incoming Nigeria chief executive said on Thursday.

Nigeria created its SIM card registration rules in an attempt to stop criminals and insurgents from using untraceable numbers, with the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) saying earlier this week that all cards without a valid NIN would be blocked from Dec. 30.

Fulfilling the directive is a daunting task, with the industry needing to attach the numbers to some 200 million active mobile phone lines. Providers which fail to comply face stiff sanctions, including the withdrawal of licenses.

In a call with investors, MTN executives said they had acquired licences to verify and issue NINs and were building up infrastructure to complete the task, as well as working closely with Nigerian authorities to assess the viability of the Dec. 30 deadline.

“I think there’s a very realistic chance that we complete this within six months,” said Toriola, pointing out that a portion of its base was already compliant.

Ferdi Moolman, current Nigeria CEO, said he didn’t see a ban on the sale of new SIM cards announced earlier in December lasting as long as six months and that momentum for the local unit to achieve double-digit service revenue growth remained intact.