According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), all Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) must have finished the required SIM verification and NIN linking by September 14, 2024.
This was revealed on Wednesday in a statement signed by Mr Reuben Muoka, NCC’s Director of Public Affairs.
According to the statement, the directive’s goal is to guarantee that the NIN-SIM linking policy is fully followed.
The Federal Government’s 2020 policy to link all Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) to National Identity Numbers (NINs) was claimed to have made substantial progress, which the NCC was happy to reveal.
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The announcement claims that over 153 million SIMs have been successfully linked to their NINs, indicating an outstanding 96% compliance rate—a significant increase from 69.7% in January 2024.
“To achieve 100% compliance as we near the end of this crucial process, the NCC is requesting the ongoing cooperation of all Nigerians.
“To improve the security and confidence of our digital economy, all SIM cards must be fully linked to NINs.
“This policy encourages more involvement in e-commerce, digital banking, and mobile money services by strengthening trust in digital transactions and lowering the risk of fraud and cybercrime through the verification of all mobile users.
“This, in turn, promotes financial inclusion and drives economic growth.” According to the statement.
NCC uncovers alarming cases
The commission claims it has uncovered unusual incidents in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA).
According to the report, there have been instances where people have had an abnormally high number of SIM cards—some up to 100,000.
In addition, the NCC stated that it was still committed to cooperating with law enforcement and other relevant parties to stop the selling of SIM cards that have already been pre-registered.
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Act now: Avoid SIM blockage
It emphasised that this aimed to protect Nigeria’s mobile number integrity and national security.
The commission stated that it anticipated no SIM functioning in Nigeria would be without a valid NIN as of September 15, 2024.
“We kindly ask the general public to visit their service providers as soon as possible to update their information before the deadline if they have not yet completed their NIN-SIM linkage or if they have encountered problems because of verification discrepancies.
As an alternative, you can use the authorised self-service portals.
The NCC also reminds the public that purchasing and selling pre-registered SIM cards are crimes that carry jail terms and fines.
It stated, “We encourage citizens to report any such activities to the Commission via our social media platforms or toll-free line (622).”