Over the weekend, telecommunications companies in Nigeria initiated the final phase of disconnecting Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) numbers that had not been linked to their National Identification Numbers (NINs), resulting in numerous lines being barred.
Since February 2024, these companies have been executing a phased disconnection process in compliance with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) directives.
This action sparked widespread disruption and affected subscribers flooded telecom offices nationwide, demanding the reactivation of their blocked phone lines.
In response, the NCC issued a new directive instructing telecom operators to temporarily reactivate all previously barred lines.
The NCC clarified that this reactivation allows subscribers to link their NIN to their SIMs, addressing the significant disruption caused and prioritising consumer convenience.
At the end of 2023, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) mandated telecommunications companies to disconnect lines not successfully linked to a National Identification Number (NIN) in a three-phase process. In the first phase, which concluded on February 28, 2024, telcos barred subscribers who had never submitted their NINs.
The second phase, which ended on March 29, 2024, targeted subscribers with five or more SIMs linked to unverified NINs.
The final phase focused on subscribers with fewer than five SIMs linked to unverified NINs, initially set to conclude on April 15, 2024.
However, the deadline was extended to July 31, 2024, with the NCC urging subscribers to resolve any issues related to NIN verification before this new deadline.
The SIM/NIN harmonisation program, launched by the Federal Government of Nigeria through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in December 2020, requires all telecommunications subscribers to link their National Identification Numbers (NINs) to their SIM registration records to avoid disruptions.
This initiative was reinforced in April 2022 when the NCC directed telecom operators to restrict outgoing calls (one-way barring) for subscribers whose lines were not associated with a verified NIN, advising them to complete their NIN verification for reactivation.
The NCC states that the primary objectives of linking NINs to SIMs are to enhance national security and to maintain the accuracy of the national SIM ownership database.
The NIN-SIM linkage policy aims to verify and protect user identities, thereby supporting the development of a robust digital economy.
Despite its importance, the SIM/NIN harmonisation program has negatively impacted telecom operators. In the first quarter of 2024, MTN reported that it had fully barred 8.6 million subscribers in compliance with the NCC directive
While many of these subscribers subsequently linked their lines to their NINs, the company still experienced a net loss of 2 million subscribers by the end of Q1 2024. In its Q1 2025 financial report, Airtel noted that since the directive was issued in December 2023, 8.7 million customers have completed the linkage, but approximately 4.9 million still require verification.
Airtel estimates that its monthly revenue is at risk by US$3m to US$4m due to these unlinked lines.
Source: CSL
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