Telecom

Telcos Seek Time to Regularise SIM Registration

Published

10 years ago

February 29, 2016

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Telecommunications operators have asked Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to allow subscribers a window of time to normalize irregular SIM registration.

This is coming against the backdrop of abrupt disconnection of some telecom subscribers with irregular Sim registration.

Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) told Nigeria CommunicationsWeek that his association has made a representation to NCC on the need for this window of time for subscribers with Sim registration issues and is waiting the Commission’s response.

“We have written to the NCC on what we think should be the process for data collection and disconnection of subscribers. Now that we are faced with these problems, we will continue to deal with them. We referred to the issue NCC raised about invalid and improperly registered SIM cards which we have been directed as should not be activated on any network. We agreed; we have no objections whatsoever. We also agreed totally that all data we collect will be domiciled with the Commission. In essence, whatever data we collect from our subscriber with respect to their privacy, we will ship them to the Commission.

“We do have few concerns about the process and we have recommended as follows: That where SIM registration records are rejected, as a result of invalid records, we should be given a period of two weeks, to notify the subscriber before we disconnect. Because what we are told now is that when we gather the data and send to the central database, once they discover any missing item, NCC asks you to disconnect them. So, we are saying, give us a declaration on the data considered improperly done within the number of days. Give us that window of time to at least involve the subscriber and normalize the data. This is critical to avoid disconnecting the subscriber who may have come with good intentions to give his/her data. During that period, we will tell the person you cannot make call, but can only receive; so, we can call the subscriber to comply with the process. But, if within the window of time the subscriber fails to comply, then disconnect other services,” he stated.

Adebayo also expressed reservation over the economic burden place on telecommunications operators to collect high level data from subscribers that involve biometrics as if operators are data collection agency of government which has an agency saddle with such responsibility.

“No operator has received one kobo for SIMs registration. No network received any kobo from the NCC or whosoever for the purpose of SIMs registration. All the monies are provided, from end-to-end, by the service providers. The question should be thrown back to those who received the appropriation, not we the operators. Imagine how much the operators are spending in the present economic situation to register over 120million subscribers. The cost is huge, in terms of hardware. There is also the cost of human capital. The operators created registration centres across the country. You need to calculate how much INEC has used in voters’ registration.”

On the timing of the representation, Adebayo said: “We couldn’t have said this much before now to avoid been accused of not supporting the process. It was better for us to run a follow up; define the issues and talk about it. If I had said these about a year ago, they would have said ‘go and register before complaining’. Today, we have fully complied with all required of us. We have disconnected the lines that are not properly registered as ordered by the regulator. Now, we have identified the issues and seeking for the way forward. Also, if we had made this statement about a year ago, people would have asked us to demand for funds from the government, but we have not looked at that. We are doing what the law requires should be done as directed by the Federal Government through the Commission. We are still going forward to put things in the right perspective. If the data are integrated to the national database, it will help even in security. Due to the biometrics involved, it will be easier to identify people
So, in the era we are, it is disheartening to have multiple lines of data collection without an identified national database.”

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Telecom

TikTok, Instagram Blamed in US Youth Suicide Lawsuit

Published

2 hours ago

January 28, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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Major social media giants Meta Platforms, TikTok and Alphabet’s YouTube will face a landmark jury trial this week in Los Angeles County Superior Court over allegations that their addictive designs have fuelled a youth mental health crisis, marking the first such case to reach this stage.

TikTok, Instagram Blamed in US Youth Suicide Lawsuit

Social Media

The pivotal personal injury lawsuit centres on a 19-year-old Californian woman identified as K.G.M., who claims her childhood immersion in Instagram, Facebook, YouTube and TikTok—engineered with endless scrolls, autoplay videos, notifications and algorithms—sparked severe anxiety, depression and suicidal thoughts.

Dozens of similar suits have surged since 2022 from families, schools and states, accusing the firms of burying internal research on teen harms while prioritising ad revenue through youth-targeted engagement hooks, despite Section 230 protections for user content.

Plaintiffs seek damages and design overhauls, arguing platforms bypassed parents and preyed on vulnerable kids; defendants counter there’s no clinical “social media addiction” diagnosis, no proven causation—kids with issues often use less—and they’ve added safeguards like parental controls and time limits.

Echoing Australia’s under-16 bans, the trial will scrutinise thousands of internal documents, expert testimonies and K.G.M.’s story, potentially expanding tech liability amid debates where studies show complex links, not direct causation, between screen time and disorders like eating issues or self-harm.

A win could mandate warning labels, age gates or algorithm tweaks, reshaping global platforms as U.S. Surgeon General advisories and global scrutiny intensify pressure on Big Tech to prioritise child safety over profits.

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Telecom

Meta Tests Paid Subscriptions Across Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp

Published

2 hours ago

January 28, 2026

Ugo Onwuaso

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Meta is gearing up to trial paid subscription services on Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp, aiming to diversify revenue streams beyond advertising while maintaining free core access for all users.

Meta Tests Paid Subscriptions Across Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp

Telecom

New Investment Fund Targets Acceleration of Emerging Technology in Nigeria

Published

5 days ago

January 23, 2026

Chike Onwuegbuchi

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The International Rescue Committee (IRC) has announced the formation of Airbel Ventures, a new humanitarian impact investing fund aimed at accelerating the introduction and scaling of breakthrough technologies in crisis-affected communities.

The fund will invest in companies whose ideas have the potential to change humanitarian response, including digital infrastructure for frontline health systems and climate-resilient agriculture.

The launch of Airbel Ventures follows a period of rapid innovation at the IRC, despite the humanitarian sector facing record funding cuts.

In the past year, the IRC’s Airbel Impact Lab has advanced more than twenty Artificial Intelligence (AI) and technology initiatives—from anticipatory action tools powered by climate and vulnerability data, to frontline service delivery using safe, orchestrated AI systems, to breakthrough diagnostic tools for emerging diseases.

Airbel Ventures’ first impact investment is in Signalytic, a company delivering solar-powered computing devices that ensure reliable electricity and connectivity for remote health facilities.

Following the investment, the IRC will pilot Signalytic’s technology with its Nigeria Health team, demonstrating the viability of next-generation digital infrastructure in humanitarian settings.

“We know breakthrough solutions already exist—what’s missing is the path to scale in humanitarian contexts,” said Dr. Jeannie Annan, Senior Vice President for Research & Innovation at the IRC and head of the Airbel Impact Lab.

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