In Two Weeks, FG To Block SIM Cards Not Matched With NIN; Gives Reasons

All GSM phone subscribers whose SIM cards are not linked with their National Identification Numbers (NINs) by December 30 will be disconnected from their networks.

The federal government announced this following a meeting of com­munications sector stakeholders convened by the Minister of Com­munications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, on Monday.

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Earlier there was a direc­tive on the suspension of new SIM registration by network operators in the country.

A statement by Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs, NCC, said the communications stakeholders at the meeting, agreed there’s need to consoli­date the achievements of last year’s SIM registration audit and improve the performance and sanity of the sector was exhaustively discussed and all stakeholders agreed that urgent drastic measures had become inevitable to improve the integrity and transparen­cy of the SIM registration process.

He said the decisions to be immediately implementa­ted by all network operators include “affirmation of the earlier directive to totally suspend registration of new SIMs by all operators”.

He continued: “Operators to require all their subscribers to provide valid National Identification Number (NIN) to update SIM registration records.

“The submission of NIN by subscribers to take place within two weeks (from today, December 16, 2020, and end by December 30, 2020).

“After the deadline, all SIMs without NINs are to be blocked from the networks.

“A Ministerial Task Force, comprising the minister and all the CEOs (among others) as members, is to monitor compliance by all networks.

“Violations of this direc­tive will be met by stiff sanc­tions, including the possibili­ty of withdrawal of operating licence.”

Adinde, therefore, urged the general public to ensure that their NINs were captured in their SIM registration data.

“All inconveniences which might be occasioned by this directive are deeply regret­ted,” he said.

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