Telecom companies in Nigeria have commenced the disconnection of around 66 million mobile lines that are yet to be linked to the National Identification Number (NIN) in compliance with a directive from the federal government. The move comes after multiple deadline extensions aimed at encouraging Nigerians to link their Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards to their NIN, a policy introduced to bolster national security and simplify identity verification.
As of March 2024, 153 million out of 219 million active lines had been linked to the NIN, leaving the remaining 66 million at risk of disconnection. Despite earlier disruptions caused by service outages, major telecom operators, including MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9mobile, have urged subscribers to complete the NIN-SIM linkage process to avoid losing access to essential mobile services.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), issued this directive to combat the misuse of unregistered phone lines in criminal activities such as fraud, kidnapping, and terrorism. The NCC representative confirmed that any unlinked SIMs would be prevented from making calls, sending messages, or accessing mobile data until the verification process is completed.
Despite criticism and technical challenges with the NIN-SIM registration process, President Bola Tinubu’s administration has maintained its commitment to the policy. The president of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, Adeolu Ogungbanjo, has called for an extension of the deadline due to the technological issues experienced during the registration process, but so far, the government has stood firm on its decision.
Telecom subscribers who are affected can still reactivate their lines by visiting service centers to complete the NIN-SIM linkage.
