By Ken Afor
MTN Nigeria Communications Plc has announced that it has received instructions from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to enforce complete network restriction on all phone lines belonging to subscribers who have not provided their national identity numbers (NINs) or whose NINs have not been verified.
This was disclosed in a filing made to the Nigerian Exchange Limited.
MTN has stated that it is adhering to a directive that applies to the entire industry. This directive mandates the suspension of phone lines that have not had their subscribers’ NINs submitted by 28 February 2024.
The company said, “With regard to NINs that have been submitted but not verified, such lines are to be barred on or before 29 March 2024, where five or more lines are linked to an unverified NIN. Similarly, where less than five lines are linked to an unverified NIN, such lines are to be barred on or before 15 April 2024.
“All affected subscribers must be verified (biometrics and biodata) before their lines are unbarred. This is a follow-up to the NCC’s directive on 4 April 2022 requiring operators to restrict outgoing calls (one-way barring) for subscribers whose lines are not associated with NINs.
“We are further engaging the affected subscribers through all our channels to encourage them to submit their NINs for verification. As part of these efforts, we are enhancing the capacity of our various service outlets to make the process smoother and more efficient.
“We are committed to ensuring that our subscribers comply with the NCC directive and will continue to work with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to accelerate the NIN verification process.”
The network service provider expressed its gratitude for the Federal Government’s commitment to establishing a dependable and enduring National Identity Management system.
MTN has affirmed its commitment to adhering to the industry-wide directive from the NCC, emphasizing its role as a law-abiding corporate citizen and its dedication to meeting the requirements of its operating license. The company will keep investors informed about the progress and potential impact through updates accompanying the release of its FY 2023 results.
“We urge all our subscribers who have not yet linked their NIN to their lines to take immediate action by visiting the nearest MTN outlet or using any of our digital channels before the deadlines. Those without a NIN should visit any of the NIMC’s enrollment centres nationwide to enrol for NIN,” MTN added.
It would be recalled, the NIN initiative introduced during the President Goodluck Jonathan administration is aimed at ensuring all eligible citizens in Nigeria have an identification number for easy data processing and management.
