The management of the Nigerian Communications Commission say the commitment of the commission to cleaning up the West African country’s Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Cards ownership database remains unshaken.
According to NCC, its resolve in this regard is to further prevent criminals from taking advantage of having ‘multiple unlinked SIMs’ to perpetrate their questionable activities.
Gbenga Kayode Consumer Connect recalls that umpteen time, NCC had directed the country’s telecommunications companies (Telcos) to bar calls from Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Cards not yet linked to consumers’ National Identity Numbers (NINs) from Friday, March 29, 2024.
ConsumerConnect further recalled that the telecoms sector regulatory Commission, again, Friday, March 29, stressed the need for subscribers to complete their SIM-NIN linkage, warning that any telecoms consumer whose SIM Cards have not been linked to their NINs would not be allowed to make calls until the linkage is done.
Experts in telecomms industry describe SIM Card as “an integrated circuit intended to securely store an international mobile subscriber identity number and its related key, which are used to identify and authenticate subscribers on mobile telephone devices.”
Reacting to the issue in an interview with Consumer Connect correspondent, Mr. Reuben Muoka, Director of Public Affairs,NCC, restated that the directive for disconnection was being rolled out in stages, with the second phase set for 29 March as earlier announced.
According to Muoka,the initial phase of the exercise was held at the end of February this year.
He added “We issued a publication that you can refer to. We specified certain deadlines and stipulated that subscribers who do not comply with the directive would be barred. And that has not changed.
“29th of February was when those that have not submitted their NINs to be linked to the SIMs to be barred and those have been barred.
“We published another deadline for those who have submitted their NINs but it failed because it has not been verified, that is the one that is due for disconnection today (Friday, March 29).
“While another set is the ones with ghost verification; these are for those who have more than five numbers.”
The Commission’s position on the SIM-NIN linkage is reportedly hinged on the regulator’s fundamental objective of cleaning up the West African country’s SIM ownership database in the telecoms ecosystem.
Investigation reveals that telecoms industry regulator’s policy on SIM-NIN linkage is expected to help the Nigerian authorities in fighting kidnappers, bandits and terrorists who kidnap and kill innocent people daily
However ,despite several deadline extensions over time, there are indications that several telephone lines are yet to be linked.
The problem not withstanding,NCC has assured consumers of its commitment to ensuring that criminals do not take advantage of having multiple unlinked SIMs to carry out their nefarious activities.
Our correspondent recalls that the Federal Government, April 2021, had announced the Max-4 rule which states that telecoms subscribers cannot have more than four active lines per mobile network operator in Nigeria.
The compulsory linkage commences in 2020, following government directive on the Telcos to block calls from unregistered and unlinked lines in the ecosystem.
Credit:Consumer Connect.
Edited by Dada Ahmed.