With the new rules, it is now more difficult to get a SIM replacement in Nigeria as NIN linkage has become highly important. Anyone getting a SIM in Nigeria now is required to get their NIN before they can get a SIM replacement.
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So, What Are the New Rules for SIM Replacement in Nigeria?
- NIN is now mandatory for all SIM replacements or SIM welcome back. The commission said adequate quality assurance measures shall be integrated into the validation and verification processes to ensure the accuracy of verifications.
- Where Bank Verification Number (BVN) generated NIN is flagged by NIMC, communication service providers shall not conduct SIM replacement for Individual and corporate (IoT/M2M) subscribers.
- Where communications service providers are unable to successfully verify the subscriber’s NIN records due to degradation in the service availability threshold, communications service providers are to refer to Appendix 2 of the Business Rules for SIM Registration.
- Communication service provider shall advise the subscriber to return to NIMC office for regularization.
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What Foreigners Must do in order to get a SIM Replacement in Nigeria
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said that foreigners who are lawfully residing in Nigeria for two years or more and wish to get SIM replacement fall under the category of registrable persons. They shall be required to get NIN for SIM replacement. Foreigners transiting through Nigeria or are employed in or resides in Nigeria for less than 24 months are exempted from the mandates. NCC also added that communications service providers will capture the following on their records before new SIM activations, MNP and SIM replacements: visa and International passport biodata page.
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SIM Replacement on Second Lines
For SIM replacement on secondary lines, secondary telecoms master’s NIN shall be validated as part of corporate subscriber’s SIM-NIN harmonization before SIM replacement is carried out.
It was added by NCC that SIM replacement/upgrade for primary telecom master shall not require secondary NIN validation and that any peculiar request different from any corporate entity, which is at variance to the general rules on corporate and IoT/M2M SIM activation and replacement shall be treated on a case by case basis after such corporate entity procures a waiver from NCC and upon written directives from the commission to the concerned communications network provider.
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