NCC disqualifies Nigerians below 18 years from owning SIM card

LAGOS – The Nigerian Commu­nications Commission (NCC) has formulated stricter regulations guiding Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards ownership in Nigeria which tentatively set 18 years as the age limit for anyone registering and owning a SIM in the country.

However, NCC is still asking for telecom stakeholders’ inputs into the proposed regulations.

This is contained in the draft copy of the modified Registra­tion of Telephone Subscribers Regulations published on the commission’s website.

In the modified regulations, NCC limited telecoms subscrib­ers to include anyone from the age of 18.

“Subscriber means a person not below the age of 18 years who subscribes to communications services by purchasing a sub­scription medium or entering in to a subscription contract with a licensee.”

The licensee refers to ‘a pro­vider of communications ser­vices that utilises a subscription medium in the Federal Republic of Nigeria.’

The regulations were made in line with the powers conferred upon the commission bysection 70 of the Nigerian Communica­tions Act, 2003.

In accordance with section 57 of the Act, the NCC conducted a public inquiry on the Registra­tion of Telephone Subscribers Regulations, alongside the draft SIM Replacement Guidelines and the draft Spectrum Trad­ing Guidelines at its head office in Abuja on Tuesday.

NCC’s Executive Commis­sioner, Stakeholders’ Manage­ment, Mr. Adeleke Adewolu, gave the opening remark at the event.

He said, “The public inquiry is an avenue that enables the commission to develop and re­view its regulatory instruments by incorporating the comments and suggestions of industry stakeholders.”

During the public inquiry, which was held physically and virtually, key stakeholders, including MTN, urged the commission to revise the age limit.

MTN asked the commission to make the age limit 14 years and above.

The NCC, however, insisted on 18 years and above for any one who wants to own and register a SIM in Nigeria.