The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has instructed all telecommunication companies in the country to reactivate lines that were recently barred due to issues with the linking and verification of National Identification Numbers (NIN).
This reversal comes after the regulator initially set a deadline of July 31 for telecom operators to bar all lines with unverified NINs.
The sudden change in the NCC’s stance is likely influenced by planned protests and allegations that the government was attempting to suppress these demonstrations by restricting telecommunications. Over the weekend, millions of lines were blocked by major telecom operators, including MTN, Airtel, Globacom, and 9Mobile, leaving affected subscribers in shock. Many claimed their lines had already been linked with NINs.
In a statement issued on Monday afternoon, NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, explained that the lines were blocked in compliance with the laws and policies of the NIN-SIM linkage. However, acknowledging the disruption caused by the weekend blockages, the NCC has now ordered telecom operators to unbar all affected lines.
The Commission emphasised that the primary objective of the NIN-SIM linkage exercise by the Federal Government is to enhance national security and ensure the accuracy of the national SIM ownership database. The NCC is providing additional time for affected subscribers to properly link their SIMs with their NINs.
“The consumer is our priority,” the Commission stated. “Considering the challenges the blockages have caused, the Commission has directed all operators to reactivate all lines that were disconnected over the weekend to give consumers more time to verify their NINs with their SIMs.”
The NCC noted that the reactivation is temporary, urging consumers to take advantage of this period to correctly link their NIN to their SIM. The NIN-SIM linkage policy is intended to verify and protect users’ identities while supporting a robust digital economy for citizens.
