A lost SIM is one of the affidavits Nigerians swear most often. Every telco wants one before it reissues your old number on a new SIM.
What the affidavit should say
Keep it factual and specific.
State the phone number, roughly when you noticed it missing, and what happened: it fell out of your pocket, the phone was stolen, or the SIM stopped working and you can no longer find it.
This is your own sworn statement. A commissioner for oaths, a notary public, or a judge of the Federal High Court or a higher court witnesses it, stamps it, and hands you the sealed copy to keep.
What your telco asks for besides it
The affidavit alone rarely does the job on its own.
Your network also wants your old number, a valid ID that matches the name on the line, and sometimes the SIM pack or its serial number if you still have it.
Some networks run a short loss report in-store before they even look at your affidavit. Ask what your specific network wants before you queue.
If your NIN or banking apps were linked
A lost SIM is more than an inconvenience if it carried your banking apps or one-time passwords.
Tell your bank as soon as you report the SIM lost, since a working replacement in someone else's hands could intercept a code meant for you.
If the new SIM needs your NIN linked again once it is active, see how to link your NIN to your SIM card.
Affidavit or police report
An affidavit is your own sworn account. A police report is the police confirming you told them about a loss.
For a SIM, most telcos treat the affidavit as enough on its own. A police report becomes more useful when the SIM was stolen rather than simply lost, or when money tied to that number is also at risk.
If in doubt, ask your specific telco which one it wants. Police extract vs affidavit of loss explains how the two documents actually differ.
What it costs
The government charge for swearing a single affidavit is a small stamp duty, set by the court where you swear it.
For the fuller breakdown, including what an online filing route adds on top, see affidavit of loss: cost in Nigeria. You can also see the current price on the affidavit of loss page before you start.
Keeping the paperwork afterwards
Once the telco issues your replacement SIM, keep the sealed affidavit rather than throwing it away.
Some institutions that check your phone number later, such as a bank updating its records, may ask why the SIM changed. Having the affidavit on hand answers that in one step.
Common mistakes
- Guessing the date of loss instead of narrowing it down. A vague date slows the telco's own checks.
- Turning up at the telco without the old number written down anywhere.
- Using an ID whose name does not match the name on the line.
- Losing the sealed affidavit itself. Telcos want to see the original, not a photo of it.
For the other documents that often go missing at the same time, our affidavit guides cover a lost school certificate, lost land papers, a lost vehicle document and a lost voter's card.