The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecoms companies to immediately restore any blocked phone lines caused by the non-linkage of national identification numbers (NIN) to SIM cards.
Reuben Muoka, Director of Media and Public Affairs, issued a statement on Monday announcing this decision.
The telecom sector regulator noted that this decision was issued in reaction to the widespread inconvenience caused by the bottlenecks, with a focus on consumer convenience.
Over the weekend, several telecom subscribers were unable to access their phone lines because they failed to verify their NINs with their SIM cards, causing their numbers to be blocked in accordance with NIN-SIM linkage legislation.
This development led to massive outrage on Monday as aggrieved subscribers besieged MTN offices across the country, demanding the reactivation of their blocked phone lines.
“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,” the regulator said.
The mandatory linking of NINs and SIMs, which began in December 2020, was intended to improve national security and provide an accurate SIM ownership record.
Despite multiple deadline extensions, the most recent being July 31, 2024, many lines remain unconfirmed.
Since December 2023, the panel has reconsidered the deadline several times. Initially, the deadline for the whole network was scheduled for April 15, 2024, with the exception of subscribers who had four or fewer SIMs with unverified NIN details.
This deadline was then extended to July 31, 2024, to provide consumers more time to guarantee that their submitted NIN information is correct.
Despite these extensions, the NCC complained that many phone lines are still not linked to confirmed NINs.
The regulator added that impacted consumers should be aware that this reactivation is only for a limited time, allowing them to correctly link their NIN to their SIM.
The commission asked all subscribers who had not yet validated their SIM cards to do so as soon as possible in order to continue receiving services.
Meanwhile, the telcos, represented by the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria, had stated that the disconnection had nothing to do with the August 1 demonstration.
Telecom operators indicated that the harmonisation process had been ongoing for some months and was intended to improve the accuracy and 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 group explained.
ALTON emphasised its commitment to helping government activities while also protecting communication rights, data privacy, and security.
