Telecommunication giants in Nigeria, including MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile, have announced a deadline for subscribers to link their SIM cards with their National Identification Numbers (NIN). Failure to comply with the deadline will result in the blocking of SIM cards, rendering them unable to make or receive calls or send text messages.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued directives to telecom operators, instructing them to implement full network barring on all phone lines that have not been linked with NINs. The deadline for subscribers to submit their NINs is set for February 28, 2024.
Additionally, individuals who have submitted their NINs but have not undergone the verification process will also face full barring. The directives are expected to impact millions of Nigerians across all telecom networks.
As of August 2023, there are 220.7 million telecom subscribers in Nigeria, according to data from the NCC. However, the total number of registrations and unique numbers issued by the National Identity Management Commission stands at 98.7 million as of April 2023.
Affected subscribers have the opportunity to regain access to their lines by securing their NIN and completing the linking process. MTN, in a notice published on the Nigerian Exchange, emphasized the importance of subscribers undergoing verification (biometrics and biodata) before their lines can be unbarred.
The move aligns with the NCC’s directive from April 4, 2022, which initially required operators to restrict outgoing calls for subscribers without linked NINs.
Meanwhile, MTN has recently launched its highly anticipated fifth-generation (5G) internet service at 190 sites across Nigeria, primarily in Lagos and Abuja. The company aims to expand its 5G coverage to 500-600 sites by October 2024.
