The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced that there will be no extension of the deadline for the linkage of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards to National Identification Numbers (NIN).
Consequently, telecommunication companies have been directed to disconnect 12 million lines that have not been linked to their owners’ NINs after the deadline expired on February 28, 2024.
Reuben Mouka, the Director of Public Affairs at NCC, confirmed this development on Wednesday. He reiterated that the NCC had issued a public notice and stated that there would be no extension. Mouka clarified, “If there was an extension, NCC would have communicated that. But as far as I know, there is no extension.”
In a notice issued in December 2023, the NCC had instructed telcos to disconnect SIMs that were not linked to their owners’ NINs by February 28, 2024. The NCC had further directed Global Satellite Mobile Communications firms to disconnect subscribers whose NINs had been submitted but not verified by March 29, 2024. Subscribers with less than five lines linked to an unverified NIN were to be disconnected by April 15, 2024.
Gbenga Adebayo, the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), confirmed that telecom operators would comply with the NCC’s directive. He explained that out of the 224 million active lines, approximately 12 million lines were at risk of deactivation. Adebayo stated, “About 12 million SIM cards may not have been linked to NIN. Some of these SIM cards work on modems and mifi devices. According to the regulatory directives, those numbers that are not properly linked to NIN will have services withdrawn to them by midnight today. We stand by that regulatory directive, and we are going to comply.”
Adebayo dismissed speculations about a possible extension, emphasizing that the initial deadline should have been met last year but was extended until February 28, 2024, by the regulator.
Meanwhile, a high-ranking official at MTN Nigeria revealed that the company planned to disconnect the subscribers who had not linked their SIMs to NINs in compliance with the directive. The official clarified that there had been no counter-directives from the NCC. Stressing that it was a federal issue, the official pointed out that some lines had already been disconnected. The official stated, “Remember, this is not an issue with the telcos. It’s a Federal Government issue, and before now, some lines were being disconnected. If they wanted to extend the deadline, they would have issued another notice, but they aren’t as I speak to you.”
Airtel Nigeria’s Public Relations official, Sam Adeoye, mentioned that the company would release an official statement regarding the development. However, Chineze Amanfo, Lead Public Relations at 9Mobile, did not respond to calls when contacted by The PUNCH.
In a separate development, the Federal High Court in Lagos has issued a restraining order preventing telecom operators from deactivating or disconnecting any line or SIM that is not linked to a NIN. The order was made on February 22, 2024, in response to an application filed by a Lagos-based lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje. Ogungbeje had sued the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, and Airtel Network Nigeria Limited. He sought an injunction pending appeal to restrain the respondents from enforcing the judgment or disconnecting SIM cards pending the hearing and determination of his appeal.
Regarding the court injunction, Mouka responded, “We are not aware of any court injunction stopping the NCC from barring lines that have not been linked with NIN.”
In a related development, Dr. Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman of the National Communication Commission, emphasized at the 45th Kaduna International Trade forum that telecom consumers must link their NIN to their SIM for critical national security reasons. Maida reaffirmed that the February 28th deadline was given to telecom operators to disconnect subscribers who failed to link their NIN to their SIM.
It’s worth noting that on Wednesday, major operators in the country, including MTN, Airtel, and 9Mobile, faced network connection issues, leading to subscribers being unable to make calls. The chairman of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo, clarified that this network connectivity failure was unrelated to the NIN/SIM linkage deadline. He attributed the connectivity issues to significant fibre optic cable cuts caused by road contractors employed by the Federal Government.