The Nigerian Communications Commission has announced September 14, 2024, as the final deadline for the ongoing National Identity Number and Subscriber Identity Module linkage exercise.
In a statement signed by the NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Mouka, on Wednesday, the regulator also announced that over 153 million SIMs had been successfully linked to NINs, leaving only four per cent of mobile users yet to comply with the directive.
The commission warned that failure to do so will result in consequences, including the risk of having their mobile services disconnected.
“To ensure full compliance with the NIN-SIM linkage policy, the NCC has directed all Mobile Network Operators 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,” the telecom regulator stated.
The NCC assured the public that the SIM-NIN linkage exercise was aimed at enhancing national security, improving the integrity of the mobile network, and curbing fraudulent activities.
The commission expressed commitment towards 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.
The NCC stated that through collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser and the National Identity Management Commission it has uncovered alarming cases where individuals possessed an unusually high number of SIM cards, some exceeding 100,000.
“The sale and purchase of pre-registered SIMs are criminal offenses punishable by imprisonment and fines. We encourage citizens to report any such activities to the commission via our toll-free line (622) or through our social media platforms,” the commission added.
The NCC also encouraged subscribers to take advantage of the extended deadline to link their SIMs to their NINs, emphasizing that the process is straightforward.
The Nigerian government introduced the NIN-SIM linkage policy in 2020 to enhance national security and reduce fraudulent activities. Despite multiple deadline extensions, including the recent one to July 31, 2024, a significant number of lines remain unverified.
Since December 2023, the NCC has repeatedly reviewed the deadline. Initially, April 15, 2024, was set as the deadline for barring subscribers with four or fewer SIMs with unverified NIN details.
However, this deadline was later extended to July 31, 2024, to allow consumers more time to verify their NIN details, a move that sparked widespread outrage among subscribers in the country.
Consequently, the NCC instructed telecom operators to reactivate the barred lines, giving subscribers additional time for verification.
According to their financial results for the period ending June 30, 2024, MTN Nigeria and Airtel Africa barred a combined 13.5 million lines in the first half of 2024.
MTN reported in its half-year financial results that it barred 8.6 million lines, while Airtel announced that 8.7 million customers had been verified since the NCC’s directive. However, Airtel noted that 4.9 million customers remain unverified.
By Justice Okamgba-Punch
