Approximately 65 million phone lines in Nigeria are at risk of disconnection following the expiration of the National Identification Number (NIN)-Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) linkage deadline on September 14, 2024. Telecom operators have refused to grant subscribers an extension, leading to an ongoing disconnection process as per the Nigeria Communications Commission’s (NCC) directive.
According to telecom data from March 2024, there were 219 million active lines across major networks, including MTN, Glo, Airtel, and 9mobile, with only 153 million linked to NINs, leaving around 66 million lines unlinked at the time of the deadline. Industry analysis suggests that about one million lines were linked in the final hours before the cut-off, but an estimated 65 million remain at risk of being deactivated.
Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, confirmed to The PUNCH that the disconnection process had already begun. He stressed that the operators were adhering to the NCC’s guidelines, describing the deadline as “reasonable” and rejecting any further extension requests. “This is a national concern, and the data being collected is critical for national development,” Adebayo said.
Meanwhile, the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATS) has urged the NCC to consider an extension, citing technical difficulties with the NIN portal that prevented many subscribers from completing the linkage. The president of NATS suggested extending the deadline to September 22, allowing customers to resolve lingering registration issues over the weekend and avoid telecom service disruptions.
Technical glitches have plagued the NIN registration process for months, with many subscribers facing slow speeds and congestion on the NIMC portal. Adeolu Ogungbanjo, President of NATS, had previously warned that the issues might prevent successful linkage before the deadline.
In the months leading up to the final deadline, millions of lines were temporarily barred in July due to unverified NINs, causing widespread disruption. While the NCC had previously reversed that decision and granted more time for compliance, the regulator has now affirmed that no further grace period will be offered.
MTN Nigeria and Airtel Africa, in their 2024 first-half financial reports, revealed that a combined total of 13.5 million lines had been barred for non-compliance. MTN blocked 8.6 million lines, while Airtel reported that 4.8 million lines remained unverified.
Despite the ongoing appeals, the NCC remains firm on enforcing its NIN-SIM linkage policy, and disconnections for non-compliant lines are expected to continue.
