The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecommunications operators to extend the deadline for NIN-SIM verification beyond July 31, 2024.
The commission had last week directed telecommunications operators to restore mobile lines that were blocked due to NIN-SIM authentication issues.
Many telecommunications subscribers/consumers were denied access to telephone lines due to failure to verify their National Identification Number (NIN) on their Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs).
This means that the number has been blocked by the telecommunications service providers in accordance with the law and policy on NIN-SIM linking.
The NIN-SIM linking mandate began in December 2020 when the government directed telecommunications companies to block unregistered SIM cards and SIMs not linked to NIN, but after several deadline reviews, it was set to end on July 31, 2024. A senior NCC official confirmed this to reporters a few days ago, saying the deadline was extended in view of the current situation in the country.
“In this situation, telecom customers may not be able to visit operators’ stores to complete their SIM NIN authentication,” said the official, who requested anonymity as he was not authorized to speak to the media on the matter.
“We do not know when exactly the new deadline will expire. They (operators) have been instructed not to block lines until they are informed of the new deadline,” the official told reporters.
