Nigerian telecommunications companies are set to disconnect mobile phone lines that remain unlinked to National Identification Numbers (NINs) after the September 14 deadline set by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) expired.
The NCC announced in August that all SIM cards would be deactivated as of September 15 unless verified with a NIN.
Subscribers who had not completed the NIN-SIM linkage process or encountered verification issues were urged to visit their service providers to update their information before the deadline.
As of March 2024, data from the NCC showed 219 million active lines across mobile networks such as MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9mobile, with 153 million already linked to NIN. This leaves approximately 66 million unlinked lines at risk of disconnection.
Between July 28 and 29, millions of lines were temporarily barred due to unverified NINs, causing widespread disruptions in the country. The NCC had reversed its decision, giving subscribers more time to comply. However, with the deadline now expired, disconnections will commence.
An NCC official, who requested anonymity as he was not authorised to comment on the matter, dismissed any possibility of an extension.
“We will disconnect anyone who refuses to comply; the grace period is over. The reason why we extended the last time was the misconception of Nigerians who claimed that the NCC wanted to frustrate the August 1 protest.”
The official clarified that the commission has no intention of deliberately disconnecting subscribers. “A significant number of Nigerians have opted not to link their SIMs to their NIN for various reasons.
“While there may be challenges at the Centres, it remains crucial to revisit and complete the process. Let me be clear—there will be no further extensions,” the official emphasised.
Several weeks ago, subscribers voiced frustration over the difficulties they encountered when attempting to upload their information on the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) portal.
After visiting telecom centers, including MTN and Airtel, Adeolu Ogungbanjo, President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, described the situation as “terrible”.
He said that the existing portal challenges are obstructing the timely completion of the NIN-SIM linkage, adding, “Without immediate action, subscribers will struggle to meet the deadline.”
He pleaded that the NCC should consider extending the deadline due to the technical issues that marred the process of registration last week.
“NCC must be commended after a series of extensions but I believe they can still do that for maybe one week,” he told Sunday PUNCH.
In March, the NIMC and NCC strengthened their partnership to streamline the NIN-SIM linkage process. Both agencies launched public awareness campaigns, stakeholder training, and the dissemination of accurate information to help citizens comply with the directives.
Based on their first-half 2024 financial results, MTN Nigeria and Airtel Africa barred a combined 13.5 million lines for non-compliance with the NIN-SIM linkage mandate. MTN blocked 8.6 million lines, while Airtel reported that 8.7 million customers had completed verification.
The government initiated the mandatory linkage of NINs with SIM cards in December 2020, ordering telcos to deactivate unregistered SIMs and those without NIN links. After multiple deadline extensions by the NCC, April 15, 2024, was set as the final deadline for fully barring subscribers with four or fewer SIMs having unverified NIN details.
This article was written by Tamaraebiju Jide, a student at Elizade University
