The House of Representatives has issued a warning to major telecom network providers, including MTN, GLO, and Airtel, against the practice of reselling Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards that have already been purchased and left unused for several months.
The call to address this issue came during a plenary session, where Boniface Sunday Emerengwa presented a motion, urging the Committee on Telecommunications to engage with the Global System for Communication (GSM) when it is formed.
The motion highlighted the significant impact of GSM in Nigeria since its introduction in 2001, with Econet (now Airtel) and MTN being the pioneering providers. It brought various services like Mobile Banking to Nigerians and greatly improved the business environment.
SIM registration began in April 2010, as directed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), to monitor subscriber usage and prevent misuse. During registration, individuals provide personal information and biometric scans, which are stored by the service providers.
However, there have been instances where SIM cards that have been paid for but not used for six months are resold to other subscribers. This practice leads to complications, as the details of the original subscriber may still appear when using apps like True Caller. Furthermore, bank alerts meant for the previous owner might be received by the new subscriber and vice versa, exposing customers to financial risks, especially in the context of cybercrime such as ‘Yahoo boys.’
In response to the motion, the House of Representatives has instructed the committee to address this issue and report back within two weeks for further legislative action.
