Starting September 15, 2024, telecommunications operators in Nigeria will begin disconnecting mobile phone lines that are not linked to the National Identification Number (NIN). This follows the expiration of a deadline set by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on September 14.
In a statement released in August, the NCC announced that no SIM card would be allowed to remain active without a verified NIN after the deadline. The commission urged subscribers who had not linked their numbers to their NINs or faced verification issues to visit their service providers promptly to update their records.
As of March 2024, the NCC reported there were approximately 219 million active mobile lines across networks like MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9mobile. Out of these, 153 million were successfully linked to NINs, leaving around 66 million lines at risk of disconnection.
Earlier this year, in late July, millions of lines were temporarily barred due to unverified NINs, causing significant disruptions across the country. The NCC had initially reversed its decision to allow more time for compliance, but with the September deadline now passed, disconnections are set to begin.
An anonymous NCC official shared that there would be no further extensions. He explained that the previous grace period was extended due to misunderstandings among Nigerians who believed the NCC was trying to hinder the protests that took place on August 1. The official emphasized that a considerable number of individuals chose not to link their SIM cards for various reasons, although he acknowledged that there were challenges at the registration centers.
The President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, Adeolu Ogungbanjo, described the situation as “terrible.” After visiting several telecom centers, including those of MTN and Airtel, he highlighted the technical issues that hindered many from completing the NIN-SIM linkage before the deadline. He urged the NCC to consider another extension due to these ongoing challenges.
In March, the NCC and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) strengthened their collaboration to facilitate the NIN-SIM linkage process. They launched awareness campaigns and provided training to help the public navigate the needed steps for compliance.
Recent financial results indicate that MTN Nigeria and Airtel Africa have already barred a total of 13.5 million lines due to failures in complying with the NIN-SIM linkage. MTN reported blocking 8.6 million lines, while Airtel followed closely with 8.7 million lines having completed the verification process.
The requirement for linking NINs with SIM cards was enacted in December 2020, which mandated telecommunications companies to bar unregistered SIM cards without NIN links. There have been multiple deadline extensions since then, with the latest one set to avert total blockage for subscribers with four or fewer unverified NIN details until April 15, 2024.
As the disconnection phase begins, many subscribers who are yet to link their numbers are urged to take immediate action to avoid losing access to their mobile services.
