Mobile network operators (MNOs) in Nigeria have started to disconnect telephone lines whose subscribers failed to link the Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) with their National Identity Numbers (NINs) at the expiration of the regulatory deadline of September 14 this year.
The final deadline set for the SIM-NIN linkage by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) lapsed last Saturday and investigations by our correspondent suggested that the industry regulator may not hearken to calls for the extension of the time.
The Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, was quoted in news reports on Monday as confirming that the disconnection of unlinked SIMs has commenced.
According to him, though it is difficult to provide exact numbers of the disconnected lines as of Monday but the numbers would be less than 66 million in view of the fact that as of the deadline date, subscribers are still rushing to link their SIMs with the NINs.
Before now, the commission had extended the timeline about three times based on public appeals and had, in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) sustained its awareness campaigns on the need for subscribers to comply with the regulatory directive.
Data from the NCC showed that as of the end of the first quarter this year, there were 219.3 million active lines, out of which 153 million SIMs were linked to the subscribers’ NINs.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers (NATCOMS) had at the weekend appealed to the NCC for the extension of the deadline to September 30 this year.
The National President of NATCOMS, Deolu Ogunbanjo, who made the latest appeal to the commission at the weekend, attributed the association’s plea to the difficulties encountered with the NIMC portal over the past months, which hindered the smooth completion of the NIN-SIM linkage process.
He clarified: “We are experiencing significant issues with the NIMC portal. The portal’s inability to handle the high volume of uploads has led to delays and frustrations for both telecom operators and subscribers.
“We urge the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to extend the deadline to September 30, which would allow NIMC to enhance its portal capacity and improve the process for everyone involved”, Okubanjo added.
