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ABUJA, Dec 21 (Reuters) - Nigeria has extended the timeline
for telecoms providers to update SIM card registrations
following a meeting on Monday with chief executives of mobile
phone companies, the telecoms regulator said.
The regulator said it had extended registrations to Jan. 19
from Dec. 30 for providers to add valid National Identification
Numbers (NIN) to every SIM card registered in the country.
Subscribers without an NIN attached to their SIM cards have
until Feb 9, 2021 to register, the regulator said in a
statement. It has said SIM cards without a NIN attached will be
blocked.
Africa's biggest telecoms firm MTN MTNJ.J MTNN.LG , with
the largest subscriber base in Nigeria, has said it could
complete SIM card registrations within six months. Nigeria created the SIM card registration rules in an
attempt to stop terrorists and criminals from using unregistered
SIMs as rising insecurity plagues the West African country.
The regulator this month directed telecoms companies to stop
selling SIM cards while it audits compliance with SIM
registration rules.