- The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) to complete the mandatory verification and linkage of SIMs to National Identification Numbers (NINs) by September 14, 2024.
- Following this deadline, from September 15, 2024, the Commission expects that no SIM operating in Nigeria will be without a valid NIN.
- “To date, over 153 million SIMs have been successfully linked to a NIN,” per the authority. The Commission stated that this reflects an impressive compliance rate of 96%, an increase from 69.7% in January 2024, and seeks the cooperation of all Nigerians to achieve 100% compliance.
For the NCC, the complete linkage of all SIM cards to NINs would enhance trust and security in the nation’s digital economy, driving participation and promoting inclusion and growth.
The commission revealed that, in collaboration with the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), it has uncovered cases where individuals possessed an unusually high number of SIM cards — some exceeding 100,000.
The telecoms regulator is also working to crack down on the sale of preregistered SIMs, reminding the public that the sale and purchase of preregistered SIMs are criminal offences punishable by imprisonment and fines and should be reported.
In December 2020, the federal government announced the NIN-SIM linkage policy. In December 2023, the NCC directed all telecom companies operating in Nigeria, including MTN, Glo, and Airtel, to disconnect SIMs not yet linked. The NCC has been pushing back deadlines for this exercise, moving it from February 28, 2024, to April 15, then to July 31, and now to September 14, 2024.
Moreover, telcos operating in the country, like MTN, mentioned in their Q1 2024 report that one of the factors that influenced its operations and user base decline was the NCC's NIN-SIM directive, confirming it barred 8.6 million subscribers.
Ahead of the July 31 deadline, it barred the remaining subscribers with fewer than five lines linked to unverified NINs but reversed this per the regulator’s directive to reactivate the lines and give users more time to complete the verification process.
The regulator has now urged the public who are yet to complete their NIN-SIM linkage or who have faced issues due to verification mismatches to visit their service providers or approved self-service portals to update their details before the deadline.
