The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the independent National Regulatory Authority for the telecommunications industry in Nigeria has deployed Bio-key International’s automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) to keep track of the country’s 110 million SIM card users and prevent fraud. The commission’s Nigerian SIM (NSIM) Card Registration program has classified and biometrically enrolled the fingerprints of purchasers for more than 110 million, making it one of the largest biometric identity management projects in the world. SW Global, a provider of information technology services throughout Africa implemented the project.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the independent National Regulatory Authority for the telecommunications industry in Nigeria has deployed Bio-key International's automated fingerprint identification system (AFIS) to keep track of the country's 110 million SIM card users and prevent fraud. The commission's Nigerian SIM (NSIM) Card Registration program has classified and biometrically enrolled the fingerprints of purchasers for more than 110 million, making it one of the largest biometric identity management projects in the world. SW Global, a provider of information technology services throughout Africa implemented the project.
Bio-key was selected by SW Global to provide cost-effective, accurate and scalable biometric identity solutions to support the enrollment and de-duplication of the country's entire mobile phone user population. The NSIM Card Registration program was conceived to combat fraud and criminal activity by securing the identities of all mobile network subscribers nationwide. The goal was to implement a solution that is secure, cost effective, widely accepted, and integrates with other identity databases in Nigeria. The process includes enrolling subscribers and associating their identity with the ownership of SIM cards and mobile phone numbers. Bio-key's fingerprint technology automates the detection of multiple identity holders, and ensures a permanent physical connection of every person to a single identity.
Nigeria has an estimated 110 million SIM cards in use and issues approximately 8 million new SIMs annually through multiple mobile network operators. Historically, most of the issued cards were for prepaid lines and were not registered before issuance. These anonymous mobile lines have been used in perpetrating fraudulent acts and other crimes without a means of tracing the activity back to the responsible party. NSIM intends to put an end to this anonymity to combat fraud and crime.
"In making further analysis and consultations, the commission became very convinced that registration of SIM Cards with full biometric identity of every subscriber in the network will go a long way in assisting the security agencies to fight crimes against lives and properties,” said Eugene Juwah, Executive Vice Chairman/CEO of the NCC at a recent Security Summit convened by the Office of National Security Advisor. “SIM card registration also provides a good opportunity for the nation to accelerate the achievement of a National Registry of its Citizens which has eluded this nation for a long time”.
"Through our partnership with SW Global, we are delivering one of the largest commercial/civil identification programs in the world using our core WEB-key AFIS biometric engine,” said Mike DePasquale, CEO, Bio-key, “When the database of registered users is fully scrubbed, each SIM card will be associated with a user and anonymous SIMs, which many times are used for criminal purposes, will no longer be active.” The SIM registration dataset can also become a platform for additional services, such as mobile banking and electronic payments, since the NCC has the ability to positively identify each mobile device owner.