The move follows numerous extensions and warnings issued to Nigerians to adhere to policies aimed at strengthening national security and streamlining the identity verification process.
Telecommunications companies have said they will begin disconnecting about 66 million telephone connections across the country to implement the Federal Government's directive to link National Identification Numbers (NINs) to Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs). This comes following numerous extensions and cautions Nigerians to adhere to the policy aimed at enhancing national security and simplifying the identification process.
It’s important to note that as of March 2024, 153 million out of 219 million active mobile lines on networks such as MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9mobile were already linked to the NIN, as reported by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). This puts about 66 million lines at risk of closure.
The issue of unverified NINs led to brief disruptions to services across the country on July 28-29, causing widespread outages. According to financial records for the first half of 2024, MTN Nigeria and Airtel Africa blocked 13.5 million lines for not complying with NIN-SIM connection rules.
MTN reported blocking 8.6 million lines, while Airtel claimed that 8.7 million customers had successfully verified their NIN.
Telecommunications companies including MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9mobile have advised subscribers at risk of losing service to connect their NIN to prevent permanent disconnection. Subscribers whose services have been suspended can have their services reinstated by visiting their communications service provider’s service centre or NIMC office to complete the verification process.
The NCC in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued a directive making it mandatory for all mobile phone users in Nigeria to link their SIM cards to their unique NIN. The policy, introduced in 2020, was part of the government's strategy to reduce the level of insecurity, fraud and criminal activity that can result from unregistered or incorrectly registered phone lines.
After several delays by the NCC since December 2023, the NCC announced in August that SIM cards without verified national identification numbers (NINs) by September 15 would be rendered inoperable. A spokesperson for the NCC confirmed the disconnection of the lines, explaining that non-compliant lines will be prohibited from making calls, sending text messages or using mobile data until they successfully complete the connection process.
“We will arrest anyone who refuses to comply; the grace period is over. "The reason for the last extension was a misunderstanding by Nigerians that the NCC wanted to disrupt the August 1 protests," an NCC spokesman told Leadership magazine.
He defended the NIN-SIM link as essential to national security, adding that the policy aims to create a central database that can be used to track criminal activity, verify identities and improve digital financial inclusion. "Unregistered and unlinked SIM cards have been identified as a commonly used tool for criminal activities such as kidnapping, terrorism and financial fraud. The NIN-SIM connection is a critical step in protecting the nation and ensuring the integrity of our communications infrastructure," he added.
Recall that despite facing backlash, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has stood firm in its dedication to the policy, stating that those who do not follow it could potentially lose access to essential mobile services.
Recently, the president of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, Adeolu Ogungbanjo, following visits to various telecommunications centers, expressed his dissatisfaction with the NIN-SIM registration process, describing it as terrible. Ogunbanjo therefore called on the NCC to consider extending the deadline after technical glitches occurred during the registration process last week.
"I think they should consider a one-week extension and the NCC should be commended for this delay," he said.
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