By Asaye Bankole
The Nigerian government has acknowledged that security agencies face significant technical challenges in tracking SIM cards allegedly used by kidnappers and other criminal groups, despite years of mandatory SIM registration and the linking of SIMs to National Identification Numbers (NIN).
The Minister of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, revealed this on Friday while outlining government efforts to address insecurity through the telecommunications sector.
Speaking on Channels Television, Tijani said the challenge is “far more technical” than many Nigerians realise, explaining that criminal gangs have adapted to existing surveillance measures by using advanced communication methods that take advantage of poor network coverage.
The telecommunications sector has been under intense scrutiny since 2020, when the Federal Government enforced mandatory NIN–SIM linkage as part of efforts to curb fraud, anonymous communications and crimes associated with unregistered phone lines.
However, Tijani acknowledged growing public concern over the continued incidence of kidnappings and ransom negotiations allegedly carried out using unregistered or untraceable SIM cards.
“There was an exercise carried out by telecom operators to clean up all SIM cards. The reason the President pushed us to invest in towers in those areas was because we realised criminals were using a specialised form of technology to make calls,” he said.
According to the minister, many criminal groups no longer depend on conventional telecom towers. Instead, they route calls through multiple towers, a tactic that is especially effective in remote, underserved and poorly connected areas.
“They are not using normal towers; they bounce calls across multiple towers. That’s why they prefer to operate in places without proper connectivity,” Tijani explained.
To tackle what he described as “connectivity vulnerabilities” that enable criminal activity, Tijani said the government is adopting a multi-layered approach, including satellite upgrades, expansion of fibre-optic networks and large-scale deployment of telecom infrastructure in rural areas.
He noted that Nigeria is currently the only country in West Africa operating its own communications satellites, a capability the government plans to strengthen.
“That is why we are upgrading our two satellites, so that if the towers are not working, the satellites will,” he said.
The minister also confirmed that the Federal Government has approved the deployment of 4,000 new telecom towers across underserved rural communities—areas he said are often exploited by kidnappers and illegal SIM operators.
He said the project, approved by the Federal Executive Council last Wednesday, will be carried out in partnership with Chinese technology company Huawei.
“That is why we are investing in fibre. That is why this project will begin next year. We are doing it with Huawei 4,000 towers in rural areas,” Tijani said.
He added that the initiative is expected to reduce network blackspots, stimulate rural economic activity and strengthen security surveillance in areas that currently lack reliable connectivity.
While fibre expansion and tower deployment are already in progress,
Tijani said satellite upgrades would take longer, describing them as “the third leg” of the government’s overall connectivity plan.
“That part will take longer than the other two. The other two are already well underway,” he said.
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