By Chinenye Anuforo, Lagos
Following widespread complaints of SIM card deactivation due to unresolved NIN-SIM verification issues, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has ordered telecom operators to immediately restore affected lines.
Over the weekend, numerous Nigerians experienced disruptions to their mobile services as their SIM cards were blocked for failing to meet the NIN-SIM linkage requirements. This mass deactivation has caused significant inconvenience and frustration among subscribers
A visit to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in Ikeja, Lagos and some telecommunications companies’ customer service centres on Monday, showed that many subscribers visited the service centres in droves to rectify the issues with their linkage or to link their NIN to their SIMs.
At one of the customer care centres in Ojodu-Berger, Lagos, representatives of the company were seen helping subscribers link their SIMs and solve whatever issues they had with their linkage.
Subscribers named 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 calls but can’t.
Recall that 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 reviewed the deadline a few times; April 15, 2024, was set as the deadline for the full network barring 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.
In a press statement made available to Daily Sun and signed by the Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Reuben Muoka, the Commission said the consumer is its priority while directing all operators to 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.
The press statement partly reads: “The consumer is our priority; therefore, considering the challenges the blockages have caused, the Commission has directed all operators to 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. Reactivated consumers are to note that this is for a limited period to allow them to properly link their NIN to their SIM.”
The Commission tasked members of the public who are yet to verify their SIMs to do so as soon as possible to maintain access to their lines.