The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has mandated telecom service providers to promptly reactivate all phone lines that were recently disconnected.
In a statement released on Monday, Reuben Muoka, the NCC Director of Public Affairs, highlighted that many telecom subscribers were unable to access their phone lines over the weekend due to issues with verifying their National Identification Numbers (NINs) with their Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs).
The statement revisited the compulsory NIN-SIM linkage initiated in December 2020, following the government’s directive to deactivate unregistered SIM cards and those not linked to NINs.
Muoka stated, “Since December 2023, the Commission has reviewed the deadline several times; initially, April 15, 2024, was set for the full network barring of subscribers with four or fewer SIMs that had unverified NIN details.”
“This deadline was extended to July 31, 2024, to provide consumers more time to ensure their NIN details are properly verified. Despite these extensions, many phone lines remain unlinked to 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,” Muoka continued. “The NIN-SIM linkage policy aids in verifying and protecting users’ identities while also providing critical infrastructure that ensures access to the benefits of a robust digital economy for the citizenry.”
“Considering the challenges the blockages have caused, the Commission has directed all operators to reactivate all lines disconnected over the weekend, given the limited time available for consumers to verify their NINs with their SIMs,” Muoka said.
“Reactivated consumers should note that this is for a limited period to allow them to properly link their NIN to their SIM. We encourage members of the public who have yet to verify their SIMs to do so as soon as possible to maintain access to their lines,” Muoka concluded.
