SIM-NIN linkage: NCC gives update on 11.2m blocked mobile lines

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has confirmed that telecom operators have barred all Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) which have yet to be linked to their owners’ National Identity Numbers (NINs).

NCC had last week given the operators the go-ahead to block about 11.2m lines whose owners had failed to link them with their NINs.

The commission’s directive followed the expiration of the months long ultimatum given last year to telecom customers to link their SIMs with their NINs before February 28.

But speaking on Monday, the Commission’s Spokesman, Reuben Mouka, said those subscribers disconnected were not serious about their NIN-SIM linkage.

Mouka who disclosed this during a Channels Television interview on Monday noted that the primary objective of the policy is to boost security and national planning.

“It will be difficult to place a hand on the actual number of phone lines that have been barred. But take it that everybody who has not submitted NIN to service providers has been barred.

“The service providers started barring subscribers many days before the deadline.

“We are expecting to do an audit on that before the end of the week because the service providers ought to send in data of the subscribers barred.

“The process is to have an identity attached to a SIM. One of the benefits of SIM registration is to have a digital identity. The Nigerian government is very serious about having NIN as managed by NIMC. The idea is to ensure that we have those together. Some objectives, if you remember, are security and national planning. Also includes Know your customer’s details,” he said.