The Arewa Telecom Operators Agents and SIM Card Dealers Association (ATOASDA) has expressed concerns over the recent suspension of sale, registration and activation of SIM Cards by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), lamenting that about two million Nigerian youths have been rendered jobless.

In a statement made available to newmen on Monday, December 28, ATOASDA said that it was aware of the Federal Government’s intention to address security challenges through linkage of National Identity Number (NIN) with mobile numbers and suspension of new Sim cards registration.

The telecom operators, however, expressed fear that,rendering 2 million youth jobless might worsen the security challenges.

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Recall that the Federal Government on December 9, directed the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) to embark on an audit of the subscriber registration database to ensure compliance to set quality standards and requirements. 

Consequently, Mobile Network Operators were directed to suspend the sale, registration and activation of new SIM Cards until the audit exercise is concluded. 

Speaking on the development in the Monday statement, President of the ATOASDA, Hassan Yakubu said the move was an applaudable one which is coming at a time when Nigeria is experiencing rising insecurity, such as kidnapping, banditry and insurgency.

Yakubu said that ATOASDA as a registered association under corporate affairs commission of the Federal Republic of Nigeria with registration number CAC/IT/NO131761 and with Nigeria communications commission volume number as NCC/CAB/2019/VOL.1/011, are "fully in support of FG measures to protect the lives and properties of the citizenry.”

President of the telecoms association however said the federal government must trade carefully for the following reasons:

"That virtually all the available research works on the causes of insecurity across the country have been linked primarily to youth unemployment.

"That the recent directive by the Federal Minister of Communications and Digital Economy to suspend sale, registration and activation of SIM Cards has rendered over 2millions youth jobless across the nation.

"That the income of the business partners, staff and the agents (majority of whom are within the age bracket between 20 – 40 years) in the value chain is determine by the number of activations /SIM registration carryout within the month.

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"That the suspension may trigger another worse form of insecurity especially in zones most affected by the insecurity.

"That the growth in the Telecom sector is determined by the very sub-sector that was suspended.

"That the much celebrated 17% contribution by Telecoms sector on the GDP was as a result of the activities of the sub-sector under suspension."

Speaking on alternative methods to achieve the desired goals, Yakubu urged the Federal Government to consider the following: 

"That we demand that the suspension be revised immediately to avoid the danger the suspension may expose the youth.

"That all existing SIM Cards must be paired with the NIN numbers within a stipulated time.

"That an average of three months should be allowed for smooth and effective pairing.

"That we request that the SIM Cards sale, registrations and activations should be allowed to continue.

"That an average of 10 new NIN machines be deployed in every local government in the 774 local governments of the federation for a better reach.

"That no new SIM Card should be allowed to synchronize without the support of NIN number and ID card until the SIM Card and NIN number pairing is concluded."