…as telcos sensitive about revenue loss
Nigerian mobile phone subscribers can heave a sigh of relief as disconnection of telephone lines not linked to National Identification Numbers (NIN) has been extended from April 15, 2024, to July 31, 2024.
Telecom industry sources say the decision to extend the deadline was taken by industry regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), following a review of requests from telecom operators.
It is said that telcos have been notified in writing of the timeline extension.
The extension from 15th April to 31st July is for telephone subscribers with four or more mobile Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) to properly match them with their National Identity Number (NIN) data.
Efforts to reach Mr. Reuben Muoka, the NCC’s director of public affairs on phone proved abortive, as calls made were unanswered.
The SIM and NIM coordination and linkage is purposed to clean the country’s SIM ownership database and ensure that criminals do not take advantage of access to multiple unlinked SIMs to carry out unlawful and antisocial activities, such as identity theft, financial crimes and ‘obtaining under false pretext’, otherwise known as 419.
Section 419 of Nigeria’s criminal code states that “Any person who by any false pretence, and with intent to defraud, obtains from any other person, anything capable of being stolen, or induces any other person to deliver to any person anything capable of being stolen, is guilty of a felony and is liable to imprisonment..”.
The SIM disconnection process, which began in February, was rolled out in three phases. The first occurred on February 28, 2024, followed by the second phase on Friday, March 29, 2024.
Originally scheduled for April 15, 2024, the third phase has now been rescheduled to commence on July 31, 2024.
During the initial deadline on February 28, 2024, the NCC said about 40 million lines not linked to NINs were barred.
It is said that while the exact number of lines affected by Friday’s deadline remains unclear, telecom companies are expected to proceed with disconnecting lines not linked with NINs.
Nigeria’s active mobile subscriptions reached a high of 220,715,961 million as of August 2023, while teledensity stood at 115.63 per cent during the same period, about one line per citizen according to figures released by the NCC.
A significant proportion of these numbers manifest by way of individuals who carry more than one SIM subscription.
Telecom operators are sensitive about having to block subscriptions because the action impacts negatively on their incomes and profits.
The NCC is said to be considering approving an online application solution for mobile network operators (MNOs) where their subscribers whose NIN verification failed due to biometric mismatches can update their records on the app while existing subscribers can register additional lines.
