Telecomms network Airtel says that only 47 percent of its subscribers have registered their NIN.
This was stated on Friday by the Chief Executive Officer, Airtel Africa, Raghunath Mandava, at a conference call.
He said that out of its 44.4 million subscribers, only 21 million had submitted their National Identification Number (NIN).
Mandava said, “We have already made significant progress capturing NIN and building our database with the NIMC. So far, out of Airtel Nigeria’s 44.4 million customers, we have collected NINs for 21 million; that’s 47 per cent of our base.
“To finish this registration process, we must verify these NINs we have with the NIMC. This requires improved connectivity with the NIMC database, which is currently being developed for all Nigerian mobile operators.
“This has meant a temporary halt to the ability of all operators in the country to onboard new customers.
“Airtel, however, is working closely with the government to ensure that all its subscribers provided their valid national identification numbers and updated their SIM registration records, such that disruption was minimised.
“This is our largest market and we remain focused on bridging the digital divide and expanding our broadband capability in the country.”
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Airtel’s Financials
In the company’s financial report released on Friday, Airtel reported a total net profit of $261 million in the nine-month period ended December 31, 2020.
In the previous year, 2019, Airtel reported a net profit of $331 million. Its 2020 profit was a decline of 21.1 percent.
