By Chinasaokwu Helen okoro
Telecommunication companies in Nigeria have commenced the final phase of disconnecting Subscriber Identity Module numbers (telephone lines) not linked to National Identification Numbers.
Two senior officials from the telcos who were not in a position to speak publicly on the matter confirmed this development to our online reporter on Sunday.
The disconnection was initially scheduled for April 15, 2024, but the Nigeria Communications Commission postponed it to July 31, 2024, after carefully considering the various challenges encountered by subscribers and requests for extensions.
“This is not only about MTN; it’s an industry issue. The Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria will soon release a statement that will be shared very soon,” one of the officials said.
The other source said the directive was from the NCC, the industry regulator, emphasising that numerous channels have been provided to simplify the process for subscribers.
“Subscribers are our customers, we cannot start disconnecting people’s lines. It’s important that these subscribers comply to link their lines with NIN,” the official stated.
The President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, was not available for comments after several calls.
However, there are concerns that the telcos did not wait until the July 31 deadline before disconnecting phone lines. This has sparked outrage on social media, with many Nigerians sharing their experiences and complaints on X.
Numerous users have reported that their SIM cards were barred despite completing the linking exercise, and they have provided evidence of their compliance.
The Digital Communications Assistant to former President Muhammadu Buhari, Bashir Ahmad, tweeted, “It seems MTN has blocked hundreds of numbers from their network today. Many people around me have complained about losing service. Has anyone else experienced this issue?”
Another user, Kensola, expressed frustration, writing, “It’s still shocking to me that my MTN line will just be blocked temporarily for no just cause. I linked it with NIN for years now. What is the problem? Are we sure the state actors are not trying to stamp on dissenting voices? Let’s all be mindful!”
Tall John, on his part, said, “As far as I know, the phone numbers that were blocked have different SIM registration and NIN details. And I remember that SMS was even sent to the affected phone lines, and public awareness was made on how to fix the problem but the propagandists of doom are saying that the network providers are barring some telephone lines because of the planned protest.”
Jude Bela also questioned MTN’s actions, stating, “MTNNG, why are you blocking lines that are already linked to NIN? I just checked to confirm that my NIN is still linked, yet my number was suspiciously blocked. You’re causing distress for Nigerians at a very convenient time. The question is, ‘Why’?”
The order for telecom operators to block SIM cards not linked to NINs is in line with a similar mandate from 2020. The Federal Government stated that the decision was prompted by continuous terrorist attacks, kidnappings, and banditry nationwide during the concluding period of President Buhari’s administration.
The reporter understands that this final phase of disconnection targets subscribers with four SIM cards linked to a single phone line.
The disconnection process, which began in February, has been rolled out in three phases. The first phase occurred on February 28, 2024, followed by the second phase on March 29, 2024.
During the initial deadline on February 28, 2024, the industry regulator reported that about 40 million lines not linked to NINs were barred.
Meanwhile, telecommunication operators have blamed the National Identity Management Commission for its slow response in approving customer verification requests to link their phone number.
They stated that the issue which limited the number of approved verification requests to link their NINs during the last extension period might lead to the disconnection of active customers who fulfilled the requirements but were unverified by the identity commission.
The Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, disclosed this during an exclusive interview with a popular online newspaper on Sunday, expressing concerns that a good number of active customers might be blocked if a solution is not provided before Tuesday.
He said the concern has been submitted to the Nigerian Communications Commission, and the telcos are awaiting feedback from the regulatory agency through the appropriate channels.
In December 2023, the NCC directed all telecommunications operators to undertake full network barring of all SIMs that have failed to submit their NIN on or before 28 February 2024. This process led to the debarment of 40 million telephone lines.
Likewise, customers that have submitted their NINs, but remain unverified were to be barred on April 15, 2024. This deadline was, however, shifted to July 31, 2024. Furthermore, guidelines were issued whereby no customer can have more than four active SIMs and all such excess SIMs must be barred by March 29, 2024.
This directive is part of the ongoing Federal Government NIN-SIM harmonisation exercise requiring all subscribers to provide valid NIN information to update SIM registration records.
However, while giving an update on the issue during the interview, the ALTON chairman said the verification and validation are not handled by the operators but by the NIMC.
He said, “Well, the verification turnaround remains a concern. We all know that verification and validation are not done at the level of the operator, it is done at the level of NIMC, so that remains a concern to us. But we are providing the relevant feedback to our regulator, seeking their necessary intervention when and where required.
“But I must admit that the turnaround time for verification, particularly from the NIMC end, is still a matter of concern. And we have not failed to make that known to NIMC through appropriate channels.”
When asked about the likely number of phone lines to be affected by this challenge, Adebayo said, “I don’t have that figure in front of me now. But as I said, we are providing feedback to our
regulator, which is the NCC. And I’m sure appropriately, if there’s a need to seek further extension or further review, the regulator will take that position.”
On if this may lead to calls for further deadline extension, the ALTON chair explained that only the regulator could take a decisive position on the matter.
“As we speak, we are providing feedback to our regulator. They provide the overall guidance for us as an industry. So, appropriately, if there will be a need for that or otherwise, our regulator will determine based on the data that we provide to them.”
In its financial statement for the first half of 2024, Telecommunication company, Airtel Africa, said it could lose up to $4m in monthly revenue due to the inability to verify about 4.9 million customers in the ongoing verification of customers’ National Identification Numbers.
Other major operators are yet to disclose the number of barred lines but findings show that MTN barred unverified users on Sunday.
Efforts to reach the NCC Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Mouka, on the commission activity on the issue and possible extension proved abortive as he didn’t respond to repeated calls to his phone lines.
The Director of IT/IDD, National Identity Management Commission, Lanre Yusuf, promised to reply to messages sent to his line but failed to do so as of when this report was filed.
Meanwhile, telecom operators have confirmed an ongoing audit of the industry billing system as part of entrenching transparency and integrity in the industry.
The ALTON chair said the initiative is part of steps to self-regulate the sector and provide answers to customers’ complaints of data depletion, voice tariff and other issues.
“Yes, an audit is ongoing and it is for reasons of health check on the systems. And it’s to further entrench transparency on this issue of billing, data billing, data depletion and drop calls,” he stated.
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