Telecom
SIM Boxing, And the Unboxing of Crime Syndicate
By Suleiman Bala Bakori
Boxes have a multitude of uses, and the word “box”, lends itself to diverse contexts.
For “Ajala Travelers,” the box is a necessity for keeping goods for their endless journeys. In literature, idiomatically, it can be said that “one has been boxed into a corner;” another might say to deal with a conundrum: “think outside the box;” then there is the “Pandora’s box” that no one wants opened.
To “box one’s ear’s” refers to a hit on the head, especially around one’s ears. For those who celebrate Christmas, “Boxing Day,” which is the 26th of December, the second day of Christmastide is not to be joked with: A day to unbox gifts. So much for the box.
Another type of boxes exists in the telecommunications world: The SIM Box. Have you ever received an international call but saw a local phone number ring in?
That is SIM Boxing in action. Let me explain.
SIM boxing happens when a person uses a special equipment, what is called a SIM Box containing tens to hundreds of SIM Cards—from 32, to 96, to 512 and more SIMs —to terminate international calls by bringing in the international call into the SIM Box using internet connections and regenerating the calls to the called party from one of the hundred SIMs in the box.
This way, the called party will see the local number of the SIM from the SIM Box, and not the original international number calling.
With SIM Boxes, the syndicate charges international call carriers lower rates than what regular Nigerian telecommunications operators would charge, as they do not have to pay the full cost of maintaining and operating a phone network.
Basically, they are bypassing the normal route for international phone call termination to terminate international calls cheaply and making windfall profits off it.
Take for instance, a telecommunications operator in Nigeria would ordinarily charge international carriers 10cents per minute for terminating an international call in Nigeria. However, by routing the call through a SIM Boxing syndicate, the international telecommunications carrier only pays a fraction of the charge to the syndicate, say 5cents per minute and does not have to pay the full 10cents per minute charge.
The SIM Boxer will terminate this call to the called subscriber at a rate of, say N15 per minute using one of the SIM cards in their SIM Box.
The SIM Boxer thus makes a killing from the differential between the rate charged to the international carrier and the rate paid to telecommunications operators whose SIM they utilise in their SIM Boxes, at the expense of our national security and income of mobile network operators and quality of our service to consumers.
Asides the revenue loss that local mobile network operators suffer courtesy the activities of these syndicates, networks face congestion around areas where the illegal call routings via SIM Boxing occurs.
With the huge traffic from the boxes, callers around the area see more dropped calls, poor call quality, and slower data speeds.
The introduction of the linking of National Identity Numbers (NIN) to SIMs is one way the Federal Government has worked to tackle this criminal enterprise.
With every SIM in the country being linked to an NIN, an identity is tied to the owner of each line, and regulators now have visibility of ownership.
That is not all. There is also the “Max-4 Rule” where a subscriber is not allowed to have more than four lines per network operator linked to his NIN.
With this rule in place, coupled with the NIN-SIM Linkage, every telephone subscriber in Nigeria would not just be accurately identifiable but limited to having only four telephone lines per subscriber.
To enforce this rule, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on the 29th of March 2024 announced the deadline for Mobile Network Operators to bar all subscribers who had five lines and above, and whose NIN failed the verification test of biometrics matching.
Over the last few weeks, sources within the NCC have confirmed cases where a single NIN was linked to over 100,000 lines.
Some NINs had well over 10,000 SIMS linked to them, others over a thousand, others had hundreds.
Many have questioned the reports and asked, what would any single reasonable person be doing with these number of lines? Justifiable questions, because no sane person—who is not running a business—should own more than five SIM cards.
Given the ‘Max 4 Rule’ in place and the NIN-SIM Linkage Policy, SIM Boxers have been boxed into a corner.
The applications they use require tens to thousands of SIM Cards, and the imperative to stay anonymous.
If these policies are well and fully implemented, this is the death knell for SIM Boxing merchants.
But the regulator, NCC needs to be fast and ready for the battle ahead. SIM Boxing is a billion-dollar criminal enterprise.
They are not going to go down without a fight. It is like taking a bone being chewed from the mouth of a bulldog.
Already, the battle seems to have kicked off.
A lawyer, Barrister Olukoya Ogunbeje has recently taken the Federal Government, NCC and Mobile Network Operators to court, claiming that the barring of SIMs not linked to NINs goes against his fundamental human rights, and has cost him the loss of business opportunities.
Anyone who has Nigeria’s interest at heart ordinarily supports this policy. It then does not add up seeing a so-called activist lawyer take up such a matter that is clearly against the public interest—unless this is the Haka cry of SIM Boxers.
A most interesting observation with his case is that it is not even a class action, but individually driven. It begs the question then, who is funding Barr. Olukoya Ogungbeje?
What is his interest in fighting this policy that puts paid to the business of a criminal enterprise? Is he funded by interests in the SIM Boxing world?
Time would tell. But in the meantime, NCC must go head on without fear or intimation and clean the Augean stable of SIM ownership in Nigeria.
Suleiman Bala Bakori is a researcher, and writes from the FCT.
Telecommunications and digital services provider, Globacom, has partnered with the Federal Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy and Huawei Nigerian Enterprises, to provide digital access to 7,000 remote communities in Nigeria with the commissioning of the pilot project in Isuanin Kura in Ibwa 2, Gwagwalada, on the outskirts of the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja on Wednesday.
The project, which is championed by the Ministry, will deliver 2G/3G/4G services, free public Wi-Fi access, digital healthcare and remote learning capabilities to the over 12,000 residents of the community.
Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani, was full of commendation to Globacom and Huawei for supporting President Bola Tinubu’s commitment to addressing the connectivity crisis affecting more than 20 million Nigerians who currently lack basic telecommunication access in the country.
Said he: “If you bring out your phone in many communities, there is no network at all. This is costing the country significantly because people cannot access financial services, medical care, or education”, adding that this also poses governance challenges as disconnected areas are difficult to administer.
“Where you live should not determine your access to opportunity. We are using innovation to ensure every Nigerian, regardless of location, can thrive in the digital age”, the Minister added.
Globacom’s Group Chief Technical Director, Mr. Sanjib Roy, who spoke on the project said the company worked with the Ministry and Huawei to bring up the site by providing the Microwave backhaul link and access to Globacom’s full core network resources and also manage the operation of the site to ensure uninterrupted voice and data services for the community.
“The Smart Education facility allows for young students within the community to receive education remotely, with the teachers being in Abuja or any other part of the world, while Healthcare delivery has been revolutionised through connected medical equipment that enables remote consultations between patients in Ibwa and doctors and specialists in urban-locations”, Mr Roy explained. The site and all the equipment are powered by solar thereby ensuring clean environment and uninterrupted power supply.
During the inauguration, the system’s effectiveness was demonstrated with the leader of Isuanin Kura, Ibwa 2 Community, Chief Abubakar Bamaiyi, having a live consultation with a medical doctor in Abuja, while the Minister and other guests watched as the students in the local school were being taught via online video by a teacher in Lagos, using equipment provided by Huawei.
Mr Kazeem Kaka, Globacom’s Head of Division, North West, who also spoke at event, said, “For Globacom, this is a continuation of our long-standing mission to democratize access to communication. Since 2003, we have remained at the forefront of efforts to lower the barriers to connectivity—making telephony, internet, and data services more accessible and affordable for all Nigerians.
“Today’s launch reinforces that commitment. We are particularly excited about the impact this initiative will have on education, healthcare, and economic empowerment of Ibwa people”.
In his remarks, Mr Terrens Wu, Managing Director, Huawei Nigerian Enterprises, said his company was proud to be part of the initiative to provide connectivity, and promote learning and healthcare in rural communities through digital technology. His company later gave out 120 affordable smartphones to the community to help them have access to telephony.
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has unveiled an ambitious plan to register at least 95% of Nigerians into the National Identity Database before the end of 2025, aligning with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda on digital governance and inclusive development.
Speaking at a media briefing in Abuja, NIMC Director-General Abisoye Coker-Odusote outlined the agency’s strategy, which includes expanded registration centers, improved infrastructure, and intensified public sensitization campaigns.
“As part of our efforts, we are launching the Ward Enrollment Exercise to ensure that at least 95% of Nigerians are captured by December,” she stated.
NIMC reported that over 120 million Nigerians have already been enrolled, with the target set to register an additional 100 million before year-end. Coker-Odusote emphasized that the exercise would provide the government with accurate population data, enabling better planning and resource allocation.
Addressing concerns about data security and public trust, the NIMC boss assured Nigerians that robust measures have been put in place to safeguard personal information.
She highlighted initiatives such as the NIN Authentication system, which allows individuals to control access to their data through user consent management.
Additionally, NIMC is collaborating with security agencies to track and shut down fraudulent NIN websites while working alongside the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to ensure that enrollment officers receive proper certification in data handling.
“To foster trust, we are ensuring that all personnel handling data are certified experts through NDPC training programs,” she explained.
Looking ahead, Coker-Odusote revealed that NIMC is actively working to integrate all ministries, departments, and agencies (MDAs) to eliminate fragmented operations.
She also disclosed plans to launch a Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) initiative, which will enhance trust in government transactions and digital interactions.
“In the near future, MDAs will be able to implement digital signing across platforms, seamlessly exchanging documents within and between various establishments, thereby advancing e-government and the digital economy,” she added.
The mass enrollment drive, coupled with the strengthening of cybersecurity frameworks, positions Nigeria for an inclusive and efficient national identity system that will serve as a foundation for digital transformation.
As artificial intelligence (AI) continues to transform the global digital landscape, two prominent technology leaders have issued urgent warnings and strategic calls for Nigeria and Africa to adopt a unified, governance-driven approach to AI development, emphasizing that trust, regulation, and cybersecurity are more important than ever.
L-r: Dr. Krishnan Ranganath, Regional Executive, West Africa, Africa Data Centres, Adewale Obadare, chief visionary officer, Digital Encode, Amrish Singhal, chief operations officer, Spectranet, Engr. Ike Nnamani, Managing Director, Digital Realty Nigeria and Rudman Muhammed, Managing Director, Internet Exchange Point of Nigeria, at the 16th Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit and Leadership awards held in Lagos recently.
At the 2025 Africa’s Beacon of ICT Merit & Leadership Award (ABoICT 2025), held over the weekend in Lagos, Professor Adewale Peter Obadare, Chief Visionary Officer of Digital Encode, and Amrich Singhal, Chief Operating Officer of Spectranet, independently but powerfully echoed the same sentiment: AI without governance is a ticking time bomb.
Delivering his keynote on “AI Governance, Standardization and Cybersecurity in the AI Era,” Prof. Obadare warned against the rising trend of “AI washing”—where companies label basic software or services as “AI” to capitalize on hype, often without the underlying technological integrity or oversight.
“People are calling everything AI today, from photography apps to basic automation, but no one is talking about AI governance,” he said.
Drawing comparisons to the early days of the internet, Obadare cautioned that failing to integrate security and governance into AI architecture could lead to far-reaching consequences. “We are repeating the same mistake we made with TCP/IP, which was not built with cybersecurity in mind. We cannot afford to make that error again.”
He emphasized that governance should not be seen as a hindrance but as an enabler of safe innovation. “Governance is not a brake to stop movement; it is a brake to make movement safe,” he said.
Citing international standards like ISO/IEC 42001 and ISO/IEC 38507, Obadare called for responsible innovation grounded in clear ethical guidelines, stressing the importance of securing the core components of AI: data, models, and infrastructure.
Echoing similar concerns, Amrich Singhal, chief operating officer, Spectranet in his presentation themed “Responsible AI and Nigeria: Balancing Innovation, Regulation, and Cybersecurity,” stressed that “the countries that will benefit most from AI are not necessarily those with the most powerful models, but those with the most trusted systems.”
Singhal painted AI as a double-edged sword, capable of boosting national productivity while also enabling new forms of cyber manipulation—from deepfakes to identity theft and disinformation. “AI can clone voices, create fake personas, and even undermine democracy. It’s no longer a question of readiness, it’s a question of urgency,” he declared.
He acknowledged Nigeria’s potential due to its youthful, tech-savvy population and its expanding use of AI across sectors like healthcare, agriculture, education, and oil exploration.
However, he criticized existing regulatory structures such as the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR) and NITDA’s 2023 draft AI framework as being “underdeveloped, underfunded, and poorly enforced.”
Both experts called for a multi-stakeholder approach to AI governance. Prof. Obadare warned of real-world failures, such as Microsoft’s racist chatbot Tay, Amazon’s gender-biased recruitment AI, and Uber’s fatal autonomous vehicle incident, not as tech failures, but as governance failures.
He also cited cybersecurity breaches, including the 2023 hacking of OpenAI’s ChatGPT and the leak of DeepSeek’s API keys and user data on launch day, to stress that “the danger is not just in the algorithms, but in how we design and deploy them.”
Singhal proposed a three-tiered strategy to build Nigeria’s AI resilience: government must champion AI education, create safe innovation sandboxes, and enforce data laws; private companies must adopt ethical and secure design practices; and civil society must raise awareness of digital rights and AI risks—especially for vulnerable populations.
In a firm conclusion, Prof. Obadare urged that “governance must be embedded by design,” warning that irresponsible innovation has already proven costly and called on both developers and policymakers to act before Nigeria’s AI future becomes a liability rather than a strength.
Meanwhile, Singhal closed with a stark challenge: “AI is already here. The question is not whether to use it, but how. Nigeria must choose whether AI will be a great equalizer or its greatest vulnerability.”
As the nation moves deeper into the AI era, the message is clear: building trust, enforcing cybersecurity, and embedding responsible governance must be at the core of Nigeria’s AI journey, before it’s too late.
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