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After hours of aggression, Nigerians were relieved as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecom operators to swiftly reinstate all suspended phone lines, previously blocked due to non-compliance with the mandatory National Identification Number (NIN) registration requirement for SIM cards.
The revelation came on Monday from Reuben Muoka, the NCC’s Director of Media and Public Affairs, who shed light on the circumstances surrounding the phone line blockage.
The decision to restore phone services follows widespread criticism from Nigerians who accused the NCC of attempting to silence dissenting voices and thwart the upcoming August demonstrations through the blanket suspension of phone lines.
According to a statement issued by the NCC and obtained by Vanguard, Muoka revealed that a significant number of telecom subscribers were locked out of their phone lines due to their failure to synchronize their National Identification Numbers (NIN) with their SIM cards.
The statement read, “Over the weekend, many telecom subscribers/consumers were unable to access their phone lines due to their inability to verify their NINs with their SIMs.
“This resulted in their numbers being blocked by their telecom service providers in compliance with the laws and policies of the NIN-SIM linkage.
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“Telecoms consumers and the public will recall the compulsory linkage of NIN with SIM, which began in December 2020, when the government directed telecommunication companies to bar unregistered SIM cards and SIMs that were not linked to NIN.
“Since December 2023, the Commission has reviewed the deadline a few times; April 15, 2024, was set as the deadline for the full network barring of subscribers with four or fewer SIMs that had unverified NIN details.
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“This deadline was then reviewed to July 31, 2024, to give consumers more time to ensure their submitted NIN details are properly verified. Despite these extensions, many phone lines have yet to be linked with verified NINs.
“The objectives of this exercise by the Federal Government of Nigeria include enhancing national security and ensuring the national SIM ownership database is accurate. The NIN-SIM linkage policy aids in verifying and protecting users’ identities while also providing critical infrastructure that assures access to the benefits of a robust digital economy for the citizenry.
“The consumer is our priority. Therefore, considering the challenges the blockages have caused, the Commission has directed all operators to reactivate all lines that were disconnected over the weekend, given the short time available for consumers to undertake the verification of their NINs with their SIMs. Reactivated consumers are to note that this is for a limited period to allow them to properly link their NIN to their SIM.
“Members of the public who have yet to verify their SIMs are encouraged to do so as soon as possible to maintain access to their lines.”
