Subscribers report barring of telephone lines after NCC deadline

The sad reality of not linking Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) cards to the National Identity Numbers (NINs) is gradually setting in as some subscribers have reported their telephone lines being barred for both incoming and outgoing calls.

This barring started yesterday as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) deadline for NIN-SIM linkage expired on September 14, 2024. According to NCC, it is expected that effective September 15, no SIM operating in Nigeria should be without a valid NIN.

Subscribers associations, including the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers of Nigeria (NATCOMs) and the Association of Telephones, Cable TV and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS) have called on NCC to review the process and extend to September 30, 2024, to ensure the hitches experienced as a result of server downtime at the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) is adequately addressed, mobile network operators (MNOs) under the aegis, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) said they are ready to yank off erring SIMs from the network.

A visit to some telecoms operators’ service outlets showed that affected subscribers are fast regrouping at these centres with the hope of getting their lines unbarred.

The Chairman of ALTON, Gbenga Adebayo told The Guardian at the weekend that barred lines would only be unbarred if all issues around them are resolved timely and adequately well by their owners.

Some affected subscribers are crying foul, saying that their lines were still barred, even after successfully linking the SIMs to their NINs. A customer with Airtel, Ademola Adedeji, yesterday, said he can neither call out nor receive calls, “as I have been barred. Painfully, I have done this linkage, at least, twice, but still, the line was barred. If it will give me stress, I may consider dumping the SIM.”

Another subscriber, Kingsley Nwobodo, appealed for an extension of the deadline, saying, “I should have completed the process last week, but we were told that the servers were down. So, we couldn’t do anything. I went for like three times, same story, I got frustrated and returned to work. The government should help extend this exercise, at least, for one more time.”

In March, the NIMC and the NCC formed a strategic collaboration in a move to enhance processes related to the NIN-SIM linkage. According to their first-half 2024 financial results, MTN Nigeria and Airtel Africa collectively barred 13.5 million lines due to non-compliance with the NIN-SIM linkage directive.

MTN Nigeria reported blocking 8.6 million lines, while Airtel Africa stated that 4.8 million lines remained unverified, contrary to earlier reports of 8.7 million completed verifications.

Already, an official of NCC, who spoke on the condition of anonymity, has dismissed the possibility of further deadline extensions. “We will disconnect anyone who refuses to comply; the grace period is over,” the official said.

As it is, when NCC issued the September 14 deadline, The Guardian reported that over 50 million telephone lines may be barred due to one biometric irregularity and the other.

In August, the NCC announced significant progress in the Federal Government’s 2020 policy to link all SIMs to NINs. The Commission said thus far, over 153 million SIMs have been successfully linked to a NIN, reflecting an impressive compliance rate of 96 per cent, a substantial increase from 69.7 per cent in January 2024.

“As we approach the final phase of this critical process, the NCC seeks the continued cooperation of all Nigerians to achieve 100 per cent compliance. The complete linkage of all SIM cards to NINs is essential for enhancing the trust and security of our digital economy.   By verifying all mobile users, this policy strengthens confidence in digital transactions, reduces the risk of fraud and cybercrime, and supports greater participation in e-commerce, digital banking, and mobile money services. This, in turn, promotes financial inclusion and drives economic growth.”