The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) says the
exclusion of persons below the age of 18 years in the revised SIM registration
regulation is to protect them against legal liabilities.
A section of the revised regulation proposed 18 years old as
one of the requirements for registering and owning a sim card in Nigeria.
Ikechukwu Adinde, NCC spokesperson, said this in a statement
issued on Wednesday.
Adinde said the age of 18 years for SIM acquisition proposed in the draft regulation is contingent on the constitutional provision, which makes 18 years the age of consent in Nigeria.
He further stated that SIM acquisition is a contract between
service providers and their subscribers and requires the subscriber to have
proper legal status.
“We would like to draw the attention of the public to a
publication in a section of the media, purporting that the Commission is
developing a regulation to disqualify Nigerians below 18 years of age from
getting Subscriber Identity Module (SIM),” the statement reads.
“For the avoidance of doubt, the Commission wishes to
categorically state that the said report is not only misleading and inaccurate;
but a misinformation and mischaracterization of the proceedings of the Public
Inquiry on the Reviewed/Draft Registration of Telephone Subscribers
Regulations, which took place on Tuesday, October 6, 2021.
“The Commission considers it necessary to set the record
straight for the purpose of serving existing and potential telecom subscribers,
investors and other stakeholders in the industry accurate information for
making informed decisions.
“In accordance with sections 70 and 71 of the Nigerian Communications
Act (NCA), 2003 and the Commission’s consultative engagement process, which
define its rule-making process, the public inquiry was held for all relevant
stakeholders to provide input on the draft regulatory instrument.
“The age of 18 years for SIM acquisition proposed in the
draft regulation is contingent on the constitutional provision, which makes 18
years the age of consent in Nigeria. Also, SIM acquisition is a contract
between service providers and their subscribers, which requires the subscriber
to have proper legal status, be of matured mind and rational enough to bear
certain responsibilities, obligations and liabilities imposed by a contract.
“The proposal is, therefore, to protect minors. Parents and
guardians can acquire SIMs in their names on behalf of their children and wards
in which case they assume whatever responsibilities or liabilities arise from
the usage o such SIMs, a measure expected to also strengthen national
security.”
The commission said it is pursuing digital inclusion for all
and that the draft proposal is intended to guarantee increased monitoring of
children and shield minors from undue liabilities in line with NCC’s Child
Online Protection drive.
“The consultative engagement process is still ongoing, as
the Commission is reviewing all input from relevant stakeholders in this regard
and will consider and deliberate on all comments before issuing a final
regulatory instrument” the statement adds.
“We appeal to our media stakeholders to always fact-check
their stories pertaining to telecoms regulatory issues and seek necessary
clarifications for informed and accurate reporting as the Commission runs
an open-house system.”
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