The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has upheld its decision not to extend the deadline for the linkage of Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards to National Identification Numbers (NIN), despite a court injunction restraining telecom operators from deactivating or barring any line or SIM not linked to their NINs.
The directive, which came into effect on February 28, 2024, has resulted in telecom companies being directed to deactivate approximately 12 million lines that have not been linked to their owners’ NINs.
Reuben Mouka, the Director of Public Affairs at NCC, confirmed the agency’s stance, emphasising that no extension had been granted beyond the stipulated deadline.
According to Mouka, the decision was communicated through a public notice, and there have been no subsequent directives indicating any extension of the deadline.
The Association of Licenced Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) also affirmed their compliance with the NCC’s directive, stating that out of 224 million active lines, approximately 12 million were at risk of deactivation due to non-compliance with the NIN-SIM linkage.
Meanwhile, a Federal High Court in Lagos had issued a restraining order against telecom operators, preventing them from barring any line or SIM not linked to a NIN. However, the NCC stated that they were not aware of any such injunction.
In response to the court injunction, Mouka reiterated the NCC’s stance, stating that they were not informed of any legal restraints.
Furthermore, despite the ongoing enforcement of the NIN-SIM linkage deadline, Nigeria’s major telecom operators, including MTN, Airtel, and 9Mobile, faced widespread network connectivity issues on the same day.
The Chairman of ALTON clarified that these connectivity problems were unrelated to the NIN-SIM linkage deadline but were instead attributed to significant fibre optic cable cuts caused by road construction activities.
Efforts are underway by affected telecom operators to rectify the situation promptly, with assurances given to the public regarding ongoing efforts to safeguard telecom infrastructure and restore normal services.
The incident has sparked frustration among users, who took to social media platforms to express their grievances over the sudden loss of network connectivity and communication services.
In response to the network outage, MTN Nigeria acknowledged the problem and assured customers that their engineers were working diligently to restore full service as soon as possible.
Despite the challenges posed by network connectivity issues, the NCC and telecom operators remain committed to enforcing the NIN-SIM linkage deadline as mandated by regulatory directives.
