The NCC has announced September 14 as the deadline for the NIN-SIM linkage exercise.
The Nigerian Communications Commission disclosed in a statement directed to all Mobile Network operators to complete all necessary requirements concerning the linkage of SIMs to NINs by September 14.
The NCC stated that the linkage of all SIMs to their owners’ NINs will help in building the reliability and security of Nigeria’s digital economy.
The compliance rate has increased from 69.7% in January to a significant 96%. The Commission said that more than 153 million SIMs so far have been successfully linked to a NIN.
The NCC encouraged Nigerians who are yet to complete their NIN-SIM linkage or have faced issues with verification, to visit their service providers promptly to update their details before the deadline.
The policy was introduced in December 2020, when the federal government instructed telecom companies to block unregistered SIM cards and those not linked to NINs.
The Commission has adjusted the deadline multiple times. April 15, was initially set as the deadline for fully barring subscribers with up to four SIMs that hadn’t verified their NIN details.
However, the deadline was later extended to July 31 to allow consumers more time to properly verify their NIN submissions.
On July 27, as the policy was being enforced, some Nigerians, frustrated by their inability to verify the linkage of their NINs with their SIMs, vandalized telecom facilities after they were barred from making and receiving calls.
Following the chaos, the NCC ordered telecommunication operators to immediately reconnect all phone lines that were blocked.
The agency said the reactivation was for a limited period to allow customers “to properly link their NIN to their SIM.”
