The Telecommunications Operators in Nigeria have set February 28, 2024, as the cutoff date for disconnecting Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs) that are not associated with the National Identity Number (NIN). Gbenga Adebayo, the chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), confirmed this information exclusively to DAILY POST on Tuesday.
Adebayo stated that the directive to deactivate SIMs not linked to the NIN comes from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the country’s telecommunications regulatory body. He clarified that this directive means subscribers of Nigeria’s Mobile Network Operators, such as MTN, Airtel, and Globacom, whose SIMs are not linked to NIN, will face deactivation.
He emphasized that individuals without their SIMs linked to the National Identity Number or those whose lines have been linked but are awaiting verification must take prompt action; otherwise, their services will be disconnected. Adebayo underscored that this decision is a government directive that telecom operators must adhere to, expressing concern about the impact on the substantial number of active subscribers.
This development follows the federal government’s issuance of multiple deadlines for NIN-SIM linkage, a policy introduced in December 2020 to address security concerns and enhance orderliness in the telecoms sector. According to the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), as of August 2023, the number of telecom subscribers in Nigeria had reached 220,715,961 million.