THE Nigerian Communications Communication (NCC) has declared September 14 as the final deadline for telephone users in the country to complete the compulsory linkage of their national identity numbers (NINs) to their subscriber identification module (SIM).
In a statement by the commission’s director of public affairs, Reuben Mouka, on Wednesday, August 28, the NCC urged users who have not completed their NIN-SIM linkage to ensure it is updated before the deadline.
“The NCC directed all mobile network operators (MNOs) 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.
“We urge all members of the public who have not yet completed their NIN-SIM linkage, or who have faced issues due to verification mismatches, to visit their service providers promptly to update their details before the deadline. Alternatively, the approved self-service portals are available for this purpose,” the statement read in parts.
The organisation noted that since the commencement of the policy by the federal government in 2020, over 153 million SIMs have been successfully linked to NINs, reflecting a compliance rate of 96 per cent, an increase from 69.7 per cent in January 2024.
It called for the cooperation of all Nigerians to achieve 100 per cent compliance as the process approaches its final phase, adding that the process was essential for the security of the country’s digital economy.
“By verifying all mobile users, this policy strengthens confidence in digital transactions, reduces the risk of fraud and cybercrime, and supports greater participation in e-commerce, digital banking, and mobile money services. This, in turn, promotes financial inclusion and drives economic growth.
“Through collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the National Identity Management Control (NIMC), the NCC has uncovered alarming cases where individuals possessed an unusually high number of SIM cards – some exceeding 100,000,” the statement added.
In 2020, the Federal Government mandated that telecommunications subscribers link their SIMs with their NINs.
Similarly in 2022, Federal Government directed telecommunications operators to immediately bar outgoing calls from SIM cards not yet linked with the NIN.
Also, in late July that many telecom subscribers/consumers were unable to access their phone lines, particularly MTN, because of their inability to link their NINs with their SIMs.
However, the NCC directed all mobile operators to immediately reactivate all lines they disconnected.