Just In: NCC orders immediate reactivation of ALL lines affected by NIN-SIM verification

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has ordered telecommunication operators to immediately reconnect all phone lines that were blocked during the NIN-SIM verification exercise.

The NCC gave the directive in a statement on Monday, July 29, 2024. Over the weekend, many telecom subscribers and consumers were unable to access their phone lines because of the inability of many telecom consumers to verify their National Identification Numbers (NINs) with their Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs).

This meant that their numbers were blocked by their telecom service providers in keeping with the laws and policies of the NIN-SIM linkage. Recall the compulsory linkage of NIN with SIM, which began in December 2020 when the government directed telecommunication companies to bar unregistered SIM cards and SIMs that were not linked to NIN.

In a statement by its Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, the NCC said that 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 statement said.

The Commission said the objectives of the exercise by the Federal Government of Nigeria include enhancing national security and ensuring the national SIM ownership database is accurate. The NCC said 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.