Amid widespread discontent over the deactivation of SIM cards due to unresolved NIN-SIM verification issues, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), on Monday, issued an imperative order to telecommunication firms, mandating the immediate restoration of all affected lines to alleviate the frustrations of countless Nigerian users.
The order came as a soothing relief to many subscribers as over the weekend, there were cries over horrible disruptions in their mobile services as their SIM cards were blocked for failing to meet the NIN-SIM linkage requirements.
Subscribers who were frustrated by the deactivation of their SIM cards thronged the offices of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in Ikeja, Lagos and some telecommunications companies customer service centers to sort it out.
At one of the customer care centre in Ojodu-berger, Lagos, representatives of the company were seen helping subscribers link their SIMs and solve whatever issues they have with their linkage.
A subscriber, Mr Tochukwu Amadi, told Daily Sun that she woke up to notice her line stopped working over the weekend. “I woke up and I couldn’t make calls, I tried to link my NIN to my SIM but I couldn’t.
That is why I came, but I have rectified the problem with the help of the customer care representative”, she said. Other subscribers also corroborated her.
According to some of them, they have been trying to make call but could not.
The compulsory linkage of NIN with SIM 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 since 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 shifted 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 the 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.
Contrary to the speculations linking the recent disconnection to the planned potential nationwide protests on August 1, the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators in Nigeria (ALTON) refuted the claim, insisting that there was no connection between the ongoing subscriber line barring exercise and the planned national protest.
The association stressed that the NIN/SIM link registration deadline has earlier been set for 31st July, 2024.
“The fact of the matter is that the harmonization exercise of the SIM Registration database and National Identity Database has been ongoing for several months. This is aimed at improving the integrity of the National SIM registration database. Customers who had their lines blocked recently are those whom their service providers found a mismatch between their records on both databases. We advise such customers to contact their service providers through communicated channels for resolution of the issue.
“The harmonization exercise has been ongoing for several months to improve the integrity of the SIM registration database,” ALTON stated. “Customers who have encountered issues should contact their service providers for resolution.”
