As you may have heard, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) is now deactivating unregistered mobile lines. So far, telecom operators have been running radio ads for users to reactivate their unregistered SIM cards.
SIM cards in Nigeria can be registered at the point of purchase or at service centres located in various parts of the country, where you have staff and volunteers with webcam enabled netbooks to take photos and print reader to read thumbs and index fingers. For people with multiple SIM cards, you should know that you will have to register all SIMs.
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Nigeria is not the only country involved in the SIM registration process; MTN in Uganda is also doing the same thing. In their case though, they have taken the process to another level by leveraging on social media.
The social media registration process seems pretty easy, although not of all it actually happens on Facebook. MTN SIM card owners just need to send the requested information via email and can confirm registration with a short code.
I for one will prefer this social media option over going to sit down in a service centre or joining long queues. I’m sure other Nigerians will agree with me, especially since most of us have more than one SIM card. Or am I wrong?