NCC places age limit on SIM card ownership

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has in a recently drafted set of guidelines stipulated that persons below the age of 18years can no longer own Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards in Nigeria.

The NCC in a statement published on its website, made it known that the modified regulations are still tentative, as they are still requesting for some inputs from stakeholders’ of the telecoms industry.

The Commission also made some clarifications, stating that in the modified regulations, “Subscriber” means a person not below the age of 18 years who subscribes to communications services by purchasing a subscription medium or entering into a subscription contract with a “licensee.”

It further stated that, It has also set the “activation window” to a period of 60 days from the day a new SIM was purchased to when a subscriber is required to register with the relevant licensee (telecom operators) and during which, the new subscriber will be granted limited access to voice calls, message services and other range of services usually provided by mobile operators.

The Commission however said, foreigners who wish to roam their mobile lines would not be required to register their lines provided the lines had been registered in their home countries.

The NCC reiterated that the proposed regulations were made in line with the powers conferred upon the commission by section 70 of the Nigerian Communications Act, 2003.