NCC orders reactivation of lines affected by NIN-SIM verification issues

Estimated reading time: 3 minutes

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has ordered the reactivation of lines affected by issues related to the verification of National Identification Numbers (NINs) with their Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs).

Reuben Muoka, NCC Director of Public Affairs, announced this in a statement on Monday.

Over the weekend, many telecom subscribers were unable to access their phone lines due to difficulties in verifying the NIN-SIM linkage. As a result, their numbers were blocked by their telecom service providers in compliance with NIN-SIM linkage laws and policies.

It is important to recall that the mandatory linkage of NIN with SIM began in December 2020 when the government instructed telecommunication companies to block unregistered SIM cards and those 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 (FGN) 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.

“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.

“Members of the public who are yet to verify their SIMs are encouraged to do so as soon as possible to maintain access to their lines”, the statement partly read.

Press Statement 

NCC Orders Immediate Reactivation of Lines Affected by NIN-SIM Verification Issues

Over the weekend many telecom subscribers/consumers were unable to access their phone lines because of the inability of many telecom consumers to verify their National…

— Dr. Aminu Maida (@Dr_AminuMaida) July 29, 2024