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The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has announced plans to disconnect telephone subscribers without national identity numbers (NINs) beginning February 2024 in line with the directive of the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC).
ALTON is the umbrella body for operators that include MTN, Airtel, Etisalat and Globacom.
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In a statement jointly signed by ALTON’s Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo and Executive Secretary, Gbolahan Awonuga, the association said millions of subscribers have yet to submit their NINs for verification.
By law, all telephone subscribers must have their NIN linked on operators network to verify the identity of the phone users and minimize criminal use of network services. More than 35% of subscribers are yet to be linked forcing authorities to issue a deadline.
“We refer to the Nigerian Communications Commission’s (NCC) directive dated 15 December 2023 communicated to our members to implement full network barring on all MSISDNs for which the subscribers have not submitted their national identity numbers (NINs) and those without verified NINs,” said ALTON in its statement.
Adding: “The NCC has directed our members as provided below:
- That all MSISDNs for which the subscribers have not submitted their NINs, are to be barred on or before 28 February 2024.
- That where five (5) or more MSISDNs are linked to an unverified NIN, such MSISDNs are to be barred on or before 29 March 202
- Where less than 5 MSISDNs are linked to an unverified NIN, such MSISDNs are to be barred on or before 15 April 2024.
“All affected subscribers must be verified (biometrics and biodata) before their lines are unbarred.
“The public will recall that the Federal Government commenced implementing the SIM/NIN harmonization program in December 2020 through the NCC. This program requires all telecommunications subscribers to link their NINs to SIM registration records to avoid service restrictions.
“The linking involves validating the NIN with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and matching the subscriber’s NIN records with the SIM registration information (verification) to ensure proper subscriber identification.
“Following the directive of the NCC, which took effect on 4 April 2022, all MSISDNs for which the subscribers failed to submit their NINs were placed on outgoing call restriction only, and the affected subscribers were advised to verify their NINs before being reactivated.
“Despite the limited service restriction, millions of subscribers have yet to submit their NINs for verification. Consequently, the NCC issued this directive dated 15 December 2023 for telecommunications operators to commence full network barring of the affected MSISDNs on the effective dates.
“The importance of the NIN cannot be overemphasized. It is crucial for a reliable and sustainable National Identity Management System in Nigeria. It enables economic inclusion and access to government services and helps address security concerns. Supporting the NIN initiative is necessary for a thriving digital economy and building a safer society. Therefore, our members are committed to implementing the directive as law-abiding corporate citizens who are highly supportive of the government’s objective to build a digital economy.
“We, therefore, wish to appeal to esteemed subscribers to kindly enroll for NINs or submit their NINs through the appropriate channel advertised by members to avoid full suspension of services by the set deadlines.”
