The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) mandated on Monday that all telecom service providers activate all lines that had been terminated due to the failure to link the National Identity Number (NIN) to SIM cards.
On Monday, the NCC released a statement in response to fresh reports from telecom companies regarding SIM card blocking.
Because many telecom customers were unable to confirm their National Identification Numbers (NINs) with their Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs), many telecom subscribers and consumers were unable to access their phone lines over the weekend. According to NCC, this indicated that their telecom service providers had restricted their numbers in accordance with NIN-SIM linkage rules and policies.
“In view of the limited time available for consumers to undertake the verification of their NINs with their SIMs, the commission has directed all operators to reactivate all lines that were disconnected over the weekend,” the statement continued. In order to enable them to correctly link their NIN to their SIM, reactivated customers should be aware that this is only available for a short time.
The deactivation of SIM cards by users by telcos over the weekend drew anger from the public, coinciding with Nigerians getting ready for a statewide demonstration over economic hardship.
Prior to the NCC’s declaration, senior attorney Ebun Adegboruwa cautioned telecom companies against disconnecting the network in advance of the August demonstration.
