Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued NIN enrollment guidelines for foreigners living in Nigeria.
According to NCC, all persons in Nigeria who use mobile networks are required to register their SIM cards and link them with the NIN database.
This was disclosed by the commission via its Twitter handle on Thursday.
It tweeted: “All persons in Nigeria who use mobile networks are required to register their SIM cards and link them with the NIN database.
All legally resident foreigners (i.e. non-Nigerians living and working in Nigeria) are to obtain a NIN just like Nigerian citizens. They can do this by submitting valid resident/work permits at NIMC enrolment centres.
However, foreigners on tourist or visiting visa are to tender their international passports to acquire a SIM. But where such a visiting foreigner or tourist’s immigration status changes to residency or work permit, he/she will be required to obtain NIN and link the registered SIM.”
It added that the NIN does not confer citizenship on foreigners but only serves to identify a person (citizens and legal residents).
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, has congratulated Mohammed Babajika, Director, Licensing and Authorisation Department of the Commission on his recognition by the League of African Development Students (LEADS) as ‘’Africa’s Patriotic Personality’’
According to LEADS Africa, Babajika was considered worthy of the award “for his outstanding contribution to Africa’s development and meritorious service to God, humanity and our dear country Nigeria, especially through various national and international assignments in the private/public service and community development.”
Also, the Licensing and Authorisation Department, led by Babajika, was presented with the “LEADS Development Mandate/Service Award” certificate for “pioneering telecom innovation regulations for development in Africa.” The award was “in recognition of the corporate commitment of the entire management and staff of the Commission towards the attainment of its mandate.”
In his congratulatory message, Danbatta said the two awards are a reflection of how well the Commission, through the department, has delivered one of its important functions of issuing operating licences to all telecommunications service providers in Nigeria for economic development, as contained in section 31 of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA), 2003.
The Licensing and Authorisation Department of NCC is saddled with the responsibility of issuing licenses to applicants, through the provision of prompt, proactive and effective licensing and authorization toward independent and impartial regulation of the communications sector in Nigeria.
The LEADS Africa is a youth development group with the core aim of sensitizing young persons on democratic developments in Africa while also recognizing exceptional leadership and performance in this regard.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned the general public, especially telecoms consumers to be wary of a fraudulent and cloned Facebook profile account opened with a name similar to the Commission’s official name on the social media site.
The Commission, in a statement at the weekend, disclosed that upon detecting the fake Facebook account with the name “NIGERIA COMMUNICATION COMMISSION OFFICIAL WEBSITE”, that it deemed it fit to inform members of the public that this account is fake and fraudulent.
The statement reads in part; “From our findings, the fake Facebook group account was created a year ago and has since amassed followership who, the Commission believes, must have inadvertently signed on to the site.”
The NCC states that this is a typical case of profile cloning, which represents a severe security issue in social media networks. “It is often used to create a fake profile identical to an original one, for the purpose of misleading the unsuspecting general public.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the official and authentic Facebook account of the Commission is: ‘NIGERIAN COMMUNICATIONS COMMISSION’ with over 181,580 followers.”
The Commission advised Nigerian citizens and all telecom consumers to beware of this fraudulent Facebook account as the NCC has no affiliation with it, saying it is a cloned Facebook account meant to deceive and defraud unsuspecting members of the public.
More awards have come the way of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and its Executive Vice Chairman, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta in recognition of the critical role the Commission has been playing in keeping Nigerians and businesses connected since the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic in the country.
Two of the awards, ‘Human Rights Telecoms Defender’ for the EVC and ‘Human Rights Guard’ for the Commission, as a corporate entity, were presented by Wheel of Hope Human Rights Foundation (WHHRF), a frontline Nigerian Non-Governmental Organisation. The third award, ‘Icon of a Greater Nigeria’ was presented to the EVC by the Youth Coalition Against Corruption (YOCAC), a coalition of Nigerian youths from all walks of life.
L-R: Mkechi Isa, Communication Specialist, Wheel of Hope Human Rights Foundation (WHHRF); Chairman, WHHRF, Mr. vJide Abdulazeez; Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde and Head, Online Media and Special Publications, Mrs. Grace Ojougboh during the presentation of WHHRF twin awards of ‘Human Rights Telecoms Defender’ for the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC and ‘Human Rights Guard’ for the Commission in Abuja recently. Adinde received the award on EVC’s behalf.
Coincidentally, WHHRF and YOCAC adduced similar reasons for finding the EVC and Commission deserving of the recognitions.
Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Dr. Ikeckukwu Adinde, who received the awards on behalf of the EVC, appreciated the organisations for their gestures, noting that the three awards will serve as an encouragement to the Commission to continue to strengthen effective, fair and transparent regulation of the telecommunications industry.
L-R: Head, Online Media and Special Publications, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Mrs. Grace Ojougboh; National Co-Coordinator, Youth Coalition Against Corruption (YOCAC), Mr. Dahiru Umaru; Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde and National Assistant Secretary, YOCAC, Musa Farida, during the presentation of an ‘Icon of Great Nigeria’ Award to the Executive Vice Chairman (EVC) of NCC of NCC in Abuja recently. Adinde received the award on EVC’s behalf.
“On behalf of the EVC and Chief Executive of NCC, we thank you for these recognitions. These latest awards will add to the long list of laurels in the NCC’s kitty. There are many initiatives by the Commission, to ensure increased connectivity, improved quality of service and consumer rights protection,” Adinde said while restating the NCC’s commitment to consumer-centric initiatives that promote digital inclusion and advance the digital economy vision of the government.
In his remarks, Chairman, WHHRF, Jide Abdulazeez, said the presentation of the two awards by the Foundation was in recognition of “the leading role the Commission has been playing in sustaining access to telecoms services throughout the period of the lockdown, following the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic.”
He added that the role of NCC in making the 112 Emergency Number available to Nigerians to report COVID-19-related cases and other emergencies; as well as its efforts in consistently protecting the rights and privileges of telecoms consumers, through effective resolutions of service-related complains, are part of the reasons for finding the Commission worthy of the awards.
In the same vein, the National Coordinator, YOCAC, Dahiru Umaru, said, “the Icon of Greater Nigeria Award conferred on the EVC is in recognition of his leadership qualities and achievements which have engendered quality regulatory supervision of the telecoms industry by ensuring that telecom consumers are not unduly shortchanged, especially during the critical stage of the COVID-19 pandemic.”
According to him, the Commission has been contributing immensely to the growth of the Nigerian economy by ensuring robust telecom infrastructure, making it possible for Nigerians to leverage social media and other digital platforms to ventilate their views against corrupt practices in order to ensure good governance in the country.
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