The sale of New Subscriber Identity Module cards (SIM cards) may soon be banned temporarily by The Federal Government. The move is to force network operators to lay greater investment in network quality by putting the brakes on soaring customer numbers.
The Communication Technology Minister, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, was quoted in an interview on Monday at a Renaissance Capital investment conference in Lagos, to say “We’re not satisfied at all” “Fines are just a slap on the wrist. We need to change behavior,”
The Nigerian Communication Commission has repeatedly fined Telecoms companies in the past for failing to meet quality standards and improve connections in the country.
A ban on signing new customers may force the companies to focus on improving infrastructure and quality of service for existing phone users. Telecoms companies have cited a lack of power and sabotage as reasons for the poor service.
The federal government is also in talks with state governments to reduce local land taxes on phone companies, which are being charged more than other businesses.
