Nigeria's Federal Government has made it mandatory for telecommunication service subscribers who lost or damaged their SIM cards to   present their National Identification Numbers, NIN before it could  be replaced.

This policy according to National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is part of the Federal Government’s efforts to reduce the burden on subscribers and simplify the exercise of retrieving lost SIM cards.

The NIMC  will also verify the NIN  presented by subscribers before Mobile Network Operators replaces such SIM cards.

The Federal Government’s drive to ensure all Subscriber registrations are linked with National Identification Numbers (NINs) is moving forward and all stakeholders in the industry are working together to ensure the process is carried out as seamlessly as possible.

The Ministerial Task Force under the Chairmanship of the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy set up a Technical Committee made up of representatives of:

1. Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC);

2. National Identity Management Commission (NIMC);

3.The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON); and

4. Mobile Network Operators (MNOs).

The Technical Committee is charged with the operationalisation of the process to ensure an expedited linkage of all SIM Registration Records with NIN.

Based on recommendations of the Technical Committee, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy has approved a SIM Replacement Policy for subscribers whose SIMs have been lost, stolen, misplaced, or damaged subject to the following conditions:

i) That the subscriber present a NIN;

ii) That an effective verification of the NIN is carried out by NIMC; and

iii) That the relevant Guidelines and Regulations of NCC concerning SIM Replacement are fully adhered to.

In a statement jointly signed by  Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs, NCC and Mr. Kayode Adegoke, Head, Corporate Communication, NIMC, the NCC affirmed that the Federal Government's drive to ensure all Subscriber registrations are linked with NINs is moving forward and all stakeholders in the industry are working together to ensure the process is carried out as seamlessly as possible.