Telecom companies in Nigeria have taken action by disconnecting over 40 million subscribers who failed to provide their National Identity Numbers (NIN) as per the country’s Subscribers Identification Module and NIN linkage policy.
Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, revealed this significant increase from the initial plan to deactivate 12 million lines.
Adebayo explained that beyond those who didn’t submit their NINs at all, the next phase targets subscribers who provided NIN but have unverified Mobile Subscription Identification Numbers (MSINs) associated with their NIN, often due to discrepancies in personal details provided during SIM and NIN registration.
These unverified MSINs will face disconnection starting March 30, 2024.
This move follows regulatory directives from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to curb SIMs not linked to NIN, with a series of deadline extensions since the policy’s launch in 2020 by Isa Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy.