MTN, Glo and Other Telcos in Nigeria May Not Resume Sale of Sim Cards Until May Despite Lifted Ban - Africa
MTN, Glo and Other Telcos In Nigera May Not Resume Sale of Sim Cards Until May Despite Lifted Ban
MTN, Glo, and other telecom operators have yet to resume SIM card sales and registration one week after the Federal Government approved the date.
Recall that on Monday, April 19, Dr Femi Adeluyi, Technical Assistant to the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, directed that SIM sales resume.
However, since last week, subscribers who visited the telcos' offices have been unable to purchase or register any sim card. According to investigations, the majority of telco operators have yet to receive approval to resume operations.
This correspondent confirmed that no telco is currently selling sim cards during a visit to several telco shops and sim card kiosks in Lagos. At an MTN Connect plaza in Lagos, an attendant simply stated that sales have not been approved yet.
Similarly, attendants at a GLO World location and an Airtel Express location in Lagos confirmed that they had not begun selling SIM cards.
As with the Telco offices, several SIM card kiosks visited by this correspondent confirmed that SIM card sales have not yet begun.
Internet service providers such as Spectranet, on the other hand, have begun selling SIM cards to subscribers. According to a Spectranet subscriber, she was able to purchase a SIM card on the 20th, one day after the ban was lifted.
Sim Registration Portal is Not Open
According to an investigation, the reasons for the telcos' delay in resuming SIM card sales range from a lack of written directives from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to technical issues such as registration portals.
When asked why sales had not resumed, the MTN attendant stated that they had not received approval. Although she was not specific, it is possible that the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) has not issued circulars instructing telcos to resume operations and they are being cautious.
This is unsurprising, given that the NCC, not the Minister, imposed the initial embargo on SIM card sales. As a result, despite the public lifting of the ban, the majority of telcos will remain silent until a written directive is issued.
However, the attendant revealed that MTN is currently developing an application to reintroduce sales. Similarly, the Airtel attendant confirmed that the portal for new sim card registration has not yet opened.
Recall that President Muhammadu Buhari approved the Revised National Digital Identity Policy for SIM Card Registration as the basis for lifting the SIM embargo.
According to the revised policy, any Nigerian interested in purchasing a new SIM card must first apply for a National Identification Number (NIN) and present it at the point of purchase.
The new requirement may have necessitated a redesign of the sim registration portal, resulting in the delay.
Sale may start next Month
When asked when SIM card sales would resume, the MTN attendant indicated that it would most likely be next month.
The Glo attendant, on the other hand, stated that they do not know when it will begin. Similarly, the Airtel attendant stated that he was unable to comment. He added that they have not been informed of the information.
He did, however, confirm that they are aware of the embargo's lifting.
Owners of SIM Kiosks Pivoting to POS Business
As is the case with the majority of Telco offices, several Sim Kiosks visited have not yet begun selling SIM cards and have stated that they do not know when they will.
It was surprising, however, that three of the five kiosks visited had already shifted to POS kiosks during the four-month ban.
This demonstrated that Telcos were not the only ones to suffer revenue losses as a result of the sim sale embargo. While some kiosk owners who have shifted are unaffected by the delay, a sizable number continue to suffer from the delay in resuming sales.
In Summary
The lifting of the SIM card suspension brought relief to a large number of telecom subscribers, particularly those who had lost their SIM cards between December and April of last year.
However, given the uncertainty surrounding telecom operators' resumption of sales, they may have to wait until next month to begin purchasing or recovering their SIMs.
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