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FG, Operators Agree Immediate Registration of Prepaid Sim Cards
The move to curb criminal activities perpetrated with mobile phones, recorded another success in Abuja last week, when the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, the Nigerian security and intelligence agencies, and major telecom operators reached a consensus for immediate implementation of a nationwide registration of all existing and prospective prepaid mobile phone lines.
The consensus was reached at a consultative forum hosted by the NCC, for the operators; at the request of the security agencies who have noted that those criminal activities have become a major concern, as disclosure of users’ identities are not demanded at the time of purchase.
Consequently, an action committee consisting of the NCC, the operators, the security operatives, the media and other relevant bodies was set up to work out the modalities and timelines for immediate implementation of the scheme. The committee is to present its report within four weeks.
Prepaid mobile phone subscribers are those who use Pay-As-You-Go type of GSM and CDMA mobile services, and can buy their Sim Packs from street corners and shops without proper identification.
Their Post Paid counterparts usually meet stringent identification conditions that make them traceable. But with the new development, all users of telephone services in Nigeria must be identifiable and traceable.
Engr. Ernest Ndukwe, executive vice chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, who presided over the consultative forum confirmed that the objective of the meeting was to discuss the need for the registration of Sim Cards by pre-paid subscribers and the methodology of carrying out the registration exercise, both for new and current subscribers.
He said "this is the first effort to systematically hold a discourse on the subject and results of the consultative meeting are intended to contribute to an evidence-based policy guideline on a practical regulatory regime on registration of pre-paid Sim Cards and to ensure that mobile services remain a tool for social and economic development."
Ndukwe intimated that the Commission has been deliberating on this issue for sometime now, having received complaints from security agencies expressing concern about the use of mobile phones to commit crimes and the difficulty in tracking down the perpetrators who take advantage of unregistered Sim Cards especially for prepaid consumers.
"It is a widely held opinion that every technological development has provided a new opportunity for criminality and the introduction of cellular mobile telephone services is no exception. As part of an ongoing holistic security review by the Government, the Commission by this consultative meeting plans to work together with all network operators who issue Sim Cards to subscribers to agree on a workable regulatory regime."
"With the latest development, a definite time frame will be set when operators are required to ensure compliance in recording the personal details of all customers who buy prepaid SIM Cards while subscribers can continue to use their pre-paid SIM Cards if they register their particulars with their mobile operators during the registration period," said he.
He added that unregistered prepaid cards may be deactivated by the deadline of the registration period and listed Singapore, Australia, France, Germany, Hungary, Japan, Norway, Switzerland and South Africa as countries where such actions have taken place before.
Ndukwe observed that prepaid Sim Card is an area of security concern. "Criminals exploit the anonymity of prepaid Sim Cards to avoid detection. The Industry must address this problem urgently as there are about fifty (50) million active prepaid SIM cards in circulation in Nigeria as at May 2008."
He identified one of the challenges to the success of this project to be non-existence of National identification for majority of Nigerians and regretted that attempts by the Federal Government to provide National Identity Cards in the past have proved abortive but that the Commission would go on with the project as it may be the catalyst for the development of a credible national data base.
"We believe that if properly managed and administered, the data base will be a veritable source of information not only for the sector but for the business and financial sectors of the economy."
InfraCredit, a specialised infrastructure credit guarantee institution, has entered into a strategic partnership with the Africa Minigrid Developers Association (AMDA) to boost access to long-term local currency financing for mini-grid and distributed renewable energy (DRE) projects across Africa.
The agreement aims to strengthen market development and address long-standing financing barriers in the mini-grid sector, especially in Nigeria and other underserved African markets.
The collaboration is aligned with InfraCredit’s Clean Energy Funding Programme (CEFP), which offers credit enhancement, due diligence support, and technical assistance to renewable energy developers.
“With an estimated 86 million Nigerians, alongside hundreds of millions across Africa—still living without electricity, bridging this energy access gap demands a pipeline of investment-ready, well-prepared projects that can unlock scalable capital and accelerate financial close,” said Chinua Azubike, CEO of InfraCredit.
“This partnership creates a practical pathway to scale the impact of our Clean Energy Funding Programme by equipping more developers to structure commercially viable mini-grid and DRE projects that qualify for long-term local currency finance,” Azubike added.
Through the agreement, both InfraCredit and AMDA will work together to facilitate technical assistance, share toolkits, and deploy credit modelling frameworks, including InfraCredit’s Distributed Renewable Energy Lending Toolkit (DRELT) and DRE Credit Rating Model. These tools aim to enhance the bankability of projects and improve developers’ ability to secure patient capital in local currency.
AMDA, which represents mini-grid developers operating in over 20 African countries, brings deep sector expertise and a strong network of DRE operators to the partnership.
According to Lamide Niyi-Afuye, CEO of AMDA, the collaboration addresses one of the most persistent challenges in the sector.
“We are pleased to collaborate with InfraCredit to address one of the most persistent barriers in the minigrid sector, access to affordable, long-term local currency finance,” said Niyi-Afuye.
“By aligning AMDA’s advocacy and technical support efforts with InfraCredit’s proven models and tools, we aim to accelerate the deployment of resilient, decentralised energy solutions that deliver tangible socioeconomic benefits in Africa. We view this partnership as a blueprint that will be used beyond borders, paving the way for broader regional impact,” he added.
The partnership will also support the development of transaction-ready pipelines, capacity-building initiatives, and investor-developer forums aimed at improving market transparency and accelerating the roll-out of commercially viable mini-grids.
By facilitating access to domestic blended finance and strengthening project preparation, the partnership hopes to unlock greater private sector participation, mobilise local capital, and expand clean energy access across unserved and underserved communities in Africa.
Transcorp Power Plc, one of Nigeria’s foremost electricity generating companies and a key subsidiary of Transnational Corporation Plc, has reported a robust financial performance for the half-year ended June 30, 2025.
In a statement issued on Sunday in Delta, the company disclosed a significant revenue growth of 52 per cent year-on-year, rising to ₦205.8 billion from ₦135.4 billion recorded in the corresponding period of 2024.
The company said that its gross profit surged to ₦77.6 billion, with a gross margin of 23 per cent, while profit before tax grew to ₦58.7 billion, representing a 15 per cent increase compared to ₦51 billion in H1 2024.
It attributed the improved performance to increased generation capacity, strategic investment in infrastructure, and enhanced operational efficiency.
Speaking on the development, the Chairman of Transcorp Power, Mr Emmanuel Nnorom, said the half-year results reflect the company’s commitment to disciplined cost management and sustainable value creation.
“Our resilient performance despite economic headwinds reaffirms investor confidence in our long-term prospects,” he said.
The company also declared an interim dividend of ₦11.25 billion, amounting to ₦1.50 for every 50 kobo ordinary share, subject to withholding tax.
Commenting on the operational gains, the Managing Director and Chief Executive Officer, Mr Peter Ikenga, said Transcorp Power increased its generation capacity by 100MW within the period.
“We remain focused on powering Nigeria and Africa, as we build on our momentum into the second half of the year,” Ikenga said.
Transcorp Power is a listed entity on the Nigerian Exchange and operates as one of the country’s leading power generation companies, with a track record of driving economic growth through reliable electricity supply.
Two Nigerian lawyers have sued promoters of the Nigerian Law Society (NLS) over allegations of electoral fraud and unlawful use of personal data.
The legal actions follow the recent election conducted by the NLS, a breakaway association formed as an alternative to the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), to elect its national officers.
In one of the suits, marked FHC/ABJ/05/1506/2025 and filed before the Federal High Court in Abuja, a lawyer, Timothy Tersugh Ahua, is challenging the conduct of the election and the legitimacy of the electoral process.
Ahua named several NLS promoters, including prominent lawyers, as defendants.
They include Senior Advocates, Chief Mela Audu Nunghe, Dr. Ugoji Eze, Secretary of the NLS Electoral Committee, and Chief Bolaji, Chairman of the NLS.
Others named in the suit are Ferguson Chioma Blessing, Chief Emeka Ichoku, and Tejumola Adigun.
Citing provisions of the Federal High Court Civil Procedure Rules, Ahua is asking the court to declare that the NLS electoral process violated its constitution.
He is seeking a declaration that all unopposed candidates, including himself, be declared elected, as published by Dr. Tonye Clinton Jaja, the alternate Chairman of the NLS Electoral Committee.
Ahua claims he was duly nominated for the position of Secretary General but was unjustly excluded, accusing the defendants of hand-picking candidates in breach of the rules.
He further alleged that the exclusion caused him financial loss, reputational damage, and personal hardship, urging the court to correct what he described as a grave injustice.
In a separate suit before the Federal High Court in Abeokuta, another lawyer, Oluwadare Thomas, sued Chief Mela Nunghe, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Dr. Ugoji Eze, the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA), and the Nigerian Data Protection Commission (NDPC), over alleged violation of his data privacy rights.
Thomas is asking the court to determine whether the use and publication of his personal data by NLS election officials without his consent amounts to a breach of Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and the Nigeria Data Protection Act, 2023.
He also wants the court to consider whether the use of the NLS name for the election, despite a CAC notice and a pending suit, constitutes contempt of court and abuse of legal process.
He is seeking several declaratory and injunctive reliefs, including a court order restraining the continued use of his personal data and an order compelling NITDA and NDPC to investigate and sanction the respondents.
Thomas is also demanding N50m in compensation for the alleged unlawful processing and exposure of his personal information.
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