(Alliance News) - Airtel Africa PLC on Tuesday said it has adopted regulatory SIM card measures at its Nigeria telecommunications unit, though the financial impact of the move is uncertain.
Under a directive announced by the Nigerian Communications Commission back in December 2020, operators were required to ensure all their subscribers provided a valid National Identification Number to update SIM registration records.
Africa-focused telecommunications provider Airtel on Tuesday said that so far, it has collated NIN records for 73% of its Nigeria active customer base, accounting for 79% of revenue at the unit.
By nation, Nigeria was Airtel's largest revenue contributor in the first half ended September 30. The Nigeria arm generated revenue of USD896 million, up 25% yearly. Airtel's total interim revenue was USD2.27 billion.
"However, our experience of adopting similar procedures in other countries suggests that SIM consolidation is likely to occur in response to implementation, potentially reducing any financial impact," Airtel explained.
"We will continue to work with impacted customers to help them to comply with the registration requirements and continue to benefit from full service connectivity."
By Eric Cunha; ericcunha@alliancenews.com
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Airtel Africa (AAF)