By Omoh Gabriel
LAGOS—The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has ordered mobile phone operators not to activate new phone lines until their users’ private details have been collected under new measures to gather personal information of all telecoms subscribers in the country.

The telecoms regulator also released official figures indicating  that the telecoms market has exceeded 78.8 million  active lines by last April.

According to the report in Technology Times and on line publications, the Mobile (GSM) lines as at April stood at 85,565,255, its mobile CDMA is 10,545,283 line while Fixed Wired/Wireless is 2,561,923 lines, thus giving a record total of  98,672,461 lines in the country.

According to a statement issued by NCC, all new subscribers must first register their personal details and biometric information, including fingerprints and facial photographs, before their phone lines can be activated to make calls or send messages.

The directive issued by the regulator was silent on whether unregistered users will be allowed to receive calls before they comply with the regulatory order.

NCC also directed all operators and their agents to comply with the directive which took effect from May 1, as part of measures to implement the commission’s programme on registration of SIM-based phone subscribers nationwide.

The regulatory directive on SIM registration, NCC said will also affect existing phone users while a date will be set for them to comply with the directive to supply their personal and biometric information to their phone network operator.

NCC said that in line with the provisions of the Nigerian Communications Act (NCA) 2003, its enabling laws, operators and the general public are being notified that effective from May 1, this year, “all subscribers acquiring new SIM Cards are required to be duly registered before the SIM Cards could be activated.”

Under the guideline, “all SIM-based telephone subscribers are required to register their personal data as well as biometrics (finger prints and facial photographs) before they can be allowed to make calls and/or send messages.”

The telecoms regulator says it would announce the commencement date for existing SIM-based phone subscribers.