MTN Nigeria Suspends Sales of New SIM Card, Activations, Registration

MTN Nigeria on Thursday announced it has suspended the sale, registration and activation of new SIM cards across all its service centres in line with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) directive.

On Wednesday, NCC orders telecom operators to suspend new SIM card sale, activation, registration and immediately commence Subscriber Registration Database audit.

“The objective of the audit exercise is to verify and ensure compliance by Mobile Network Operators with the set quality standards and requirements of SIM Card Registration as issued by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and the Commission”, NCC stated in a press release published on Wednesday.

In a statement released by MTN Nigeria on Thursday, the telecommunications giant said “We regret the inconvenience this will cause some of our customers and are committed to working with the NCC to complete the planned audit in an efficient and seamless manner.

“Existing MTN customers can continue to access all other services such as airtime and data purchases and live support via MyMTN App and our online channels or they can walk into any of our stores for assistance. In addition, customers can visit our Service Centres in Asaba, Ibadan, Kaduna and Port Harcourt to secure Digital Identification from the National Identity Management Commission Agents stationed there.

“MTN Nigeria remains committed to supporting the Government’s efforts to create a secure and sustainable digital economy and are steadfast in our relentless drive to assure compliance with SIM registration regulations. We will join other industry stakeholders in a meeting with Dr. Isa Ali Pantami, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, to chart a course of action.”