The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has stopped all telecoms providers from the registration of old SIM cards.
Tony Ojobo, NCC director of Public Affairs, said that the registration of old SIM cards ended in 2012, adding that network providers were only allowed to register new SIM cards.
He told Nigerian media that the egisration of new SIM cards is meant to enable subscribers to have freedm to move from one network to another as they please.
‘‘If the registration is stopped, how would foreigners that are coming to Nigeria or new citizens who are ripe to use mobile phones register? There is no time we can stop the registration. What was stopped was the registration of old SIM cards after nine months that the official registration started, for old SIMs it has stopped, but for new it shall continue,’’ Ojobo said.
He said network providers had the right to reissue any number that was not in use by subscribers after nine months.