Revealed: NCC gives reason for extending deadline for SIM-NIN linkage

• The Nigerian Communications Commission has issued a new deadline for Nigerians to link their NINs to their SIMs
• The NCC said the new deadline shifted from the previous July 31, 2024, due to the volatile situation in the country
• Telecom operators had disclosed that about 30 million SIMs remain unlinked to NINs

Legit.ng’s Pascal Oparada has reported on tech, energy, stocks, investment and the economy for over a decade.

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) directed telecommunication companies to extend the NIN-SIM verification deadline beyond the July 31 deadline.

Last week, the NCC asked telecom operators to reactivate mobile lines previously barred due to NIN-SIM verification challenges.

Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Aminu Maida Credit: NCC
Source: UGC

FG gives a reason for the new deadline.

Many telecom subscribers were barred from making, receiving, or sending SMS via their phones due to their inability to properly verify their National Identification Numbers (NINs) with their subscribers’ SIMs.

This development meant that their telecom providers blocked their phone numbers following the laws and policies of the NIN-SIM linkage.

According to reports, the mandatory linkage of NIN with SIM started in December 2020, when the Nigerian government asked telecom firms to bar unregistered phone lines and those not linked to NIN. It was scheduled to end in July 2024.

The compulsory linkage of NIN with SIM began in December 2020, when the government directed telecommunication companies to bar unregistered SIM cards and SIMs that were not linked to NIN. After several deadline reviews, it was scheduled to end on July 31, 2024.

Daily Trust reports that an NCC topshot disclosed that the NCC issued the new deadline because of the present situation in Nigeria.

30 million lines remain unlinked

BusinessDay reports said that the president of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) disclosed that over 30 million lines still need to be correctly linked to NIN.

He disclosed that the lines are mainly in car trackers, Mifi units, Wifi devices, and Point of Sale (PoS) terminals.

Adebayo said:

“The numbers are staggering,” Adebayo, the president of the telco umbrella body, said. We are looking at potentially over 30 million SIM cards, including those in various digital devices, that have not been properly linked to the NIN. Many of these SIMS are in car trackers, POS machines, MiFis, WiFis, and many other devices that use SIMs to operate.”

ALTON denies tariff increases by NCC

Legit.ng earlier reported that Gbenga Adebayo, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has debunked reports that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has approved tariff increases for telecom and internet companies.

Reports claim that the NCC's new tariff took effect on July 29, 2024, and will mean Nigerians will pay more to make calls and browse the internet.

The report added that NCC orders that “every subscriber must be on a tariff plan, and no subscriber can be on more than one tariff plan at a time.”

Source: Legit.ng