Telecommunications operators in Nigeria have blocked millions of lines from making and receiving calls in a last move to perfect the linking of subscribers’ National Identification Numbers (NIN) with all active SIMs.
This comes as the telcos race to meet the July 31, 2024 deadline set by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to bar all subscribers whose NINs have not been verified.
Despite the extension of the deadline from the initial April 15, 2024, to July 31, the latest actions by MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9mobile, indicate that many subscribers still have irregularities with their NIN-SIM link.
The telcos had before now disconnected millions of lines not linked with SIMs. The current phase being implemented requires the operators to verify all NINs submitted to ensure the owners’ details tally with their details on the SIM registration database.
While the figures of affected lines across the networks are yet to be released, Airtel in its quarterly results released on Friday disclosed that NINs of 4.9 million of its customers were yet to be verified.
An official of one of the mobile network operators, who spoke with newsmen under the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak, said many subscribers had ignored messages from the telcos about the need to correct the irregularities in their NIN and SIM data.
He, however, noted that owners of barred lines can still reactivate their lines by visiting their service provider to update their records.
