Case Study: Nigerian Communications Commission achieves SIM card fraud prevention with M2SYS Technology biometrics

140 million fingerprint database for Nigerian mobile phone tracking projec

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) faced a significant challenge with unregulated mobile phone use, which was enabling crimes including robberies, kidnappings, and fraud throughout the country. To combat this, the NCC needed a robust identification technology to create an accurate user database and track SIM card usage to prevent system corruption. They partnered with vendor M2SYS Technology to implement a biometric solution.

M2SYS Technology deployed a large-scale biometric identification system, working with telecom providers to integrate 11,500 fingerprint readers across Nigeria. The solution created a centralized database of over 140 million fingerprint templates from SIM card users. This allowed the NCC to accurately track mobile activities, directly identify criminals exploiting the system, and deter the illegal sale of pre-activated SIM cards, thereby significantly tightening security and preventing mobile phone-related crimes.

Nigerian Communications Commission