The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has ordered all telecom companies to reactivate customer lines that were deactivated over the weekend due to short notice to link their National Identification Number (NIN) with their SIM cards.
In a statement posted on X, the NCC urged the public to link their NIN to their lines quickly. Reactivated lines will remain active for only a short period.
The NCC has changed the deadline for linking NINs several times. The first deadline was April 15, 2024, which was then moved to July 31. The recent deactivation of unlinked lines caused significant problems for businesses and individuals. To give subscribers more time to verify their information, the Commission has extended the deadline again.
The commission acknowledged the challenges faced by consumers due to the sudden disconnections and reiterated the importance of the NIN-SIM linkage policy for national security and accurate SIM ownership records.
The Federal Government's goal with this exercise is to improve the accuracy of the SIM ownership database, which will help enhance national security. However, NCC has encouraged all affected subscribers to verify their NINs as soon as possible to maintain access to their lines, while also addressing concerns that the timing of the disconnections coincided with planned protests against rising living costs in the country.