News Highlights:
- NCC directs telecom operators to immediately reactivate lines disconnected due to NIN-SIM verification issues,
- The Commission acknowledges the short time available for consumers to complete the verification process.
- NCC emphasizes that the reactivation is temporary, urging consumers to properly link their NIN to their SIM to maintain access.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed all telecom operators to immediately reactivate all lines that were disconnected over the weekend in view of the short time available for consumers to undertake the verification of their NINs with their SIMs and the challenges the blockages have caused.
The Commission, however, warned that the reactivated consumers are to note that this is for a limited period to allow them to properly link their NIN to their SIM and advised members of the public yet to verify their SIMs to do so as soon as possible to maintain access to their lines.
In a statement signed by the Director, Public Affairs at the NCC, Mr. Reuben Muoka, and made available to Digital TimesNG on Monday afternoon, the NCC recalled that over the weekend, many telecom subscribers/consumers were unable to access their phone lines because of their inability to verify their National Identification Numbers (NINs) with their Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs).
The Commission stated that this inability to access their phone lines meant that their numbers were blocked by their telecom service providers in keeping with the laws and policies of the NIN-SIM linkage.
“Telecom consumers and the public will recall the compulsory linkage of NIN with SIM which began in December 2020 when the government directed telecommunication companies to bar unregistered SIM cards and SIMs that were not linked to NIN.
“Since December 2023, the Commission has reviewed the deadline a few times; April 15, 2024, was set as the deadline for the full network barring of subscribers with four or fewer SIMs that had unverified NIN details. This deadline was then reviewed to July 31, 2024, to give consumers more time to ensure their submitted NIN details are properly verified. Despite these extensions, many phone lines are yet to be linked with verified NINs.
“The objectives of this exercise by the Federal Government of Nigeria include enhancing national security and ensuring the national SIM ownership database is accurate. The NIN-SIM linkage policy aids in verifying and protecting users’ identities while also providing a critical infrastructure that assures access to the benefits of a robust digital economy for the citizenry,” NCC said in the statement.
Early Monday morning, aggrieved MTN subscribers besieged MTN offices across the country, forming long queues and expressing frustration and disappointment over the telecom company’s blocking of their phone numbers.
Some media reports quoted most of the subscribers as saying that their lines have been blocked even though they have successfully linked their SIMs with their NINs.