HAPPENING NOW: NCC Orders Immediate Reactivation Of All Phone Numbers Blocked By MTN, Other Service Providers
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has instructed telecommunication operators to immediately reconnect all phone lines that were blocked as part of the National Identification Number (NIN) and Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) verification exercise.
This directive was issued in a statement released on Monday.
During the weekend, numerous Nigerians experienced disruptions in accessing their phone lines due to difficulties in verifying the linkage between their NINs and SIMs.
As a result, their numbers were blocked by telecom service providers in accordance with the country’s NIN-SIM linkage policy.
The NIN-SIM linkage policy was initiated in December 2020 when the federal government mandated telecommunication companies to deactivate unregistered SIM cards and SIMs not linked to NINs.
Although the NCC has extended the deadline several times, the most recent deadline was set for April 15, 2024, for the complete network barring of subscribers with four or fewer SIMs that had unverified NIN details.
This deadline was later extended to July 31, 2024, to provide consumers with more time to verify their NIN details.
Despite these extensions, the commission noted in its Monday statement that many phone lines still remain unlinked with verified NINs.
The NCC highlighted that the objectives of this exercise by the Federal Government include enhancing national security and ensuring the accuracy of the national SIM ownership database.
The NIN-SIM linkage policy is designed to verify and protect users’ identities while providing critical infrastructure that ensures access to the benefits of a robust digital economy for the citizenry.
The NCC emphasized its commitment to prioritizing consumers and acknowledged the challenges caused by the blockages.
Consequently, the Commission has directed all operators to reactivate all lines that were disconnected over the weekend, given the short time available for consumers to verify their NINs with their SIMs.
Reactivated consumers are reminded that this reactivation is temporary and intended to allow them sufficient time to properly link their NIN to their SIM.
The NCC also urged members of the public who have not yet verified their SIMs to do so promptly to maintain access to their phone lines.
