A total number of 64.49 million SIMs were sold by telecommunications companies between August 2019 and August 2021, data from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have shown.
The number of connected lines in the country increased to 328,114,538 in August 2021 from 263,621,409 in August 2019, according to the NCC data.
The number of connected lines increased by 8.26 per cent (21,765,305) between August 2019 and August 2020. It further rose by 14.97 per cent (42,727,824) between August 2020 and August 2021.
The number of active lines marginally increased by 12,380,740 from 176,617,059 in August 2019 to 188,997,799 in August 2021.
Between August 2019 and August 2020, the number of active lines increased by 26,545,502 to 203,162,561. It rose further by 14,164,762 between August 2020 and August 2021.
An industry expert, who spoke on condition of anonymity on the impact of SIM registration ban on sales of SIM, told our correspondent recently, “Do you know how many people have been put out of work by that singular act? If there is a challenge, you don’t hurt businesses. You look for a way around it.”
He had said that telecommunications companies’ customer acquisition was affected by the SIM registration ban imposed in December 2020, adding, “Any business that cannot acquire customers can’t make sales. So, how do you expect GDP to grow?
