The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecommunications companies to temporarily restore customers’ access to deactivated sim cards.

Telcos had barred many sim cards over users’ failure to appropriately link their national identification numbers (NINs) with their lines.

This has caused panic countrywide, raising speculations that the step was aimed at restricting people’s communication chances during planned #EndBadGovernance protest.

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But Reuben Muoka, the NCC director public affairs, said that the development was part of an ongoing process commenced in 2020 to sanitise the national database.

“Over the weekend many telecom subscribers/consumers were unable to access their phone lines because of the inability of many telecom consumers to verify their National Identification Numbers (NINs) with their Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs). This meant that their numbers were blocked by their telecom service providers in keeping with laws and policies of the NIN-SIM linkage,” Muoka said.

“Telecoms consumers and the public will recall the compulsory linkage of NIN with SIM which began in December 2020 when the government directed telecommunication companies to bar unregistered SIM cards and SIMs that were not linked to NIN.

“Since December 2023, the Commission has since reviewed the deadline a few times; April 15, 2024 was set as the deadline for the full network barring of subscribers with four or fewer SIMs that had unverified NIN details. This deadline was then reviewed to July 31, 2024, to give consumers more time to ensure their submitted NIN details are properly verified. Despite these extensions, many phone lines are yet to be linked with verified NINs.”

Mouka further explained that the commission decided to suspend the deadline above because of the inconveniences affected users were experiencing.

“The objectives of this exercise by the Federal Government of Nigeria (FGN) include enhancing national security and ensuring the national SIM ownership database is accurate. The NIN-SIM linkage policy aids in verifying and protecting users’ identities while also providing a critical infrastructure that assures access to the benefits of a robust digital economy for the citizenry.

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“The consumer is our priority, therefore, considering the challenges the blockages have caused, the Commission has directed all operators to reactivate all lines that were disconnected over the weekend in view of the short time available for consumers to undertake the verification of their NINs with their SIMs.

“Reactivated consumers are to note that this is for a limited period to allow them to properly link their NIN to their SIM. Members of the public who are yet to verify their SIMs are encouraged to do so as soon as possible to maintain access to their lines.”