The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has explained why some telecommunications subscribers’ mobile lines, including those previously linked with their National Identification Numbers (NINs) were barred.
Reuben Muoka, the commission’s spokesperson gave the clarification on Monday during ‘The Morning Brief’ program on Channels Television.
According to Muoka, the issue primarily affects subscribers whose NINs were not properly verified or cleared, indicating that “the earlier ones they submitted were not good.”
The NCC’s decision to bar certain SIM cards arises from verification and identification discrepancies, including mismatches in information such as names and other personal data linked to the NINs.
This measure is part of the commission’s ongoing efforts to ensure the integrity of telecommunications registrations and to combat fraudulent activities associated with unverified or inaccurately registered SIM cards.
Subscribers facing issues with barred SIM cards due to NIN discrepancies are encouraged to contact their service providers and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to rectify their identification details.
He said, “There are still some subscribers whose NINs are yet to be verified by NIMC and those have to also be corrected.”
Many subscribers have complained that they had previously linked their NIN with their SIM cards years ago, but the NCC official said some lines were barred because the information on the NIN did not tally with what the customers registered with their SIM cards.
He said subscribers will have to visit the outlets of their service providers to validate their NINs and resolve other matters.
The NCC spokesman further stated, “For now it requires those physical visits to the stations to get it verified and validated but in the future, we hope that this will be done virtually.”
The NCC had earlier issued a directive to telecom service providers to bar subscribers who have failed to link their phone numbers to their NIN on or before February 28, 2024.
Millions of lines were barred last week at the expiration of the deadline, but the regulator’s spokesman said the NCC has been going through one deadline after the other since 2022 “to give extension for convenience, but it is time to get to a closure”.
“Take it that everybody who has not submitted his NIN to the service providers have been barred. Actually, the service providers starting barring people many days to the deadline,” he said.
Muoka, however, said it will be difficult to tell the actual number of phone lines that have been barred, but the NCC will do an audit before the end of the week as data are expected from service providers.
He said the NIN-SIM linkage aims to give Nigerians a digital identity to tackle security matters.
“The whole essence is actually to achieve the convenience that digital services and products will offer. By the time you have your identity together, you will be able to attend to a number of things. Even the banks are now asking their customers to link their NINs to their Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs). It is actually to make a holistic package of all your digital services,” he stated