The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that foreigners exempted from enrolling for the National Identity Number (NIN) in Nigeria, will now have to activate their Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) every six months for up to a period of two years.
The commission disclosed this in its new draft for ‘Business Rules and Operational Processes for Implementation of the National Policy for SIM activation, Replacement and Other Key Telecommunications Operational Processes.
According to the draft, “SIM activations for foreigners exempted from enrolling for NIN shall be configured for a period of six months in the first instance and can be renewed further upon request and where the visa is not for a stay of two years and above.
“Foreigners validly transiting through Nigeria or are employed in or reside in Nigeria for less than 24 months are exempted from the mandatory use of NIN requirement. Persons in this category need to provide justification that they will be residing in Nigeria for less than two years.”
The commission warned that should any affected foreigner fail to request for SIM activation at the end of the six-month, the SIM would be deactivated.
It also mandated foreigners staying in the country for more than two years, to register for NIN as well as register their SIMs fully.
“NIN is mandatory for foreigners with legal residency status or those living in Nigeria for two years and above. For those who do not already have a NIN, mobile network operators shall capture the resident’s details for NIN issuance as part of the NIN enrolment process, upon presentation of resident’s permits,” it stated.
The Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration emphasised that foreigners not staying in Nigeria for up to two years do not need a NIN to register SIM cards.
