Millions of telephone lines in the country risk disconnection as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) announces September 14, 2024, as the proposed deadline for Nigerians to link their Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) to their National Identity Numbers (NINs).
Announcing the final deadline in a statement signed by its Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, the telecom regulator said that over 153 million SIMs have been successfully linked to NIN, reflecting an impressive compliance rate of 96%, a substantial increase from 69.7% in January 2024.
This, however, showed there are still millions of lines yet to be linked with NIN. As of March 2024, data from the NCC shows that there were 219 million active lines across the mobile networks of MTN, Globacom, Airtel, and 9mobile.
NCC said the target is to achieve 100% compliance by the said date. This means that all lines not linked by September 14 would be blocked by the network operators. Beyond linking, all the NINs submitted by the subscribers must have been verified, which is where many telecom consumers might still have issues.
NCC explained that the complete linkage of all SIM cards to NINs is essential for enhancing the trust and security of our digital economy. By verifying all mobile users, this policy strengthens confidence in digital transactions, reduces the risk of fraud and cybercrime, and supports greater participation in e-commerce, digital banking, and mobile money services. This, in turn, promotes financial inclusion and drives economic growth.
Through collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the NCC has uncovered alarming cases where individuals possessed an unusually high number of SIM cards—some exceeding 100,000.
The Commission said that it remains committed to working with security agencies and other stakeholders to crack down on the sale of pre-registered SIMs, thereby safeguarding national security and ensuring the integrity of mobile numbers in Nigeria.
Beyond linking, all the NINs submitted by the subscribers must have been verified, which is where many telecom consumers might still have issues. According to the telecom operators, irregularities in registered data have been a major issue preventing the verification of NINs of millions of customers.
“To ensure full compliance with the NIN-SIM linkage policy, the NCC has directed all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to complete the mandatory verification and linkage of SIMs to NINs by September 14, 2024.
“Effective September 15, 2024, the Commission expects that no SIM operating in Nigeria will be without a valid NIN.
“We urge all members of the public who have not yet completed their NIN-SIM linkage, or who have faced issues due to verification mismatches, to visit their service providers promptly to update their details before the deadline. Alternatively, the approved self-service portals are available for this purpose,” the Commission said in its statement.