Telecommunication companies in Nigeria are set to disconnect more Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) numbers not linked to National Identification Numbers (NIN) as the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) maintains its enforcement deadline of Friday, March 29, 2024, News About Nigeria reports.
Reuben Mouka, the Director of Public Publicity at the NCC, confirmed to The Punch via telephone that there would be no changes to the deadline for the next phase of disconnection.
The directive for disconnection is being implemented in phases, with the second phase scheduled for March 29, 2024, following the initial phase on February 28, 2024, and the third phase on April 15, 2024.
During the last deadline on February 28, 2024, approximately 40 million lines that were not linked to NIN were disconnected, with MTN Nigeria reporting over 4.2 million lines disconnected from its network.
The SIM-NIN linkage was initially introduced by the federal government in December 2020, requiring all telephone line users in Nigeria to associate their SIM cards with their NIN.
The NCC’s directive follows the Central Bank of Nigeria’s announcement in December regarding the freezing of accounts lacking a Bank Verification Number (BVN) or NIN, starting in April 2024.
The circular mandated deposit money banks to place a ‘Post No Debit’ restriction on accounts without BVN or NIN.
In response to concerns raised by groups such as the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), both the National Identity Management Commission and the NCC have issued a joint statement unveiling a strategic partnership to simplify the NIN-SIM linkage procedures for telecommunications subscribers nationwide.
As the deadline approaches, telecommunications subscribers are urged to ensure compliance with the SIM-NIN linkage directive to avoid disconnection of their lines and other regulatory penalties.
