The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed the country’s telecom operators to fully block any SIM cards that have not been registered with a customer’s National Identification Number (NIN) by February 28, 2024.
In a statement, mobile market leader MTN said the directive also applies to NINs that have been submitted but not verified; such lines are to be barred by March 29, where five or more SIMs are linked to an unverified NIN, or by April 15, in cases where less than five lines are linked to an unverified NIN. All affected subscribers must be verified with biometric data before their lines are unbarred.
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This latest directive from the NCC follows an order in April 2022 requiring operators to restrict outgoing calls for subscribers whose lines are not associated with NINs.
In its statement, MTN said: “We are further engaging the affected subscribers through all our channels to encourage them to submit their NINs for verification. As part of these efforts, we are enhancing the capacity of our various service outlets to make the process smoother and more efficient.
“We are committed to ensuring that our subscribers comply with the NCC directive and will continue to work with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to accelerate the NIN verification process. We appreciate the effort being made by the Federal Government to implement a reliable and sustainable National Identity Management system, which is a crucial enabler for national and economic development.
“Therefore, as a law-abiding corporate citizen and in line with our operating licence requirements, we are committed to complying with the industry-wide directive from the NCC and will provide further updates to investors on progress and potential impact with the release of FY 2023 results.”