National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have partnered to enhance seamless linkage of National Identification Number-SIM across the federation.
This was disclosed in a statement jointly signed by Ayodele Babalola, the Technical Adviser, Media, and Communications to the DG/CEO of NIMC, and Reuben Muoka the Director, Public Affairs, NCC, and made available to journalists in Abuja on Sunday.
The NIN-SIM linkage exercise has recently become the subject of national discourse, reflecting the critical importance of aligning SIM registrations with individuals’ unique NINs.
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Recognising the significance of this initiative in enhancing security and improving service delivery, both Commissions said they were committed to improving processes and enhancing efficiency.
The agencies in the partnership prioritise the interests of Nigerians and promote national development.
“By pooling our resources and expertise, we aim to overcome the challenges associated with the NIN-SIM linkage exercise and ensure its continued successful implementation,” the Agencies stated.
Under this collaboration, NIMC and NCC focus on the following key areas: streamlining the NIN-SIM linkage process; capacity building and public awareness; data verification and validation; policy harmonisation, and the regulatory framework.
The statement read in part, “NIMC and NCC will collaborate to ensure a seamless experience for Nigerian telecommunication subscribers. This includes exploring innovative approaches to facilitate the swift verification and authentication of NINs during SIM registration and activation processes.
“Both agencies will collaborate on initiatives aimed at enhancing public awareness and understanding of the NIN-SIM linkage requirements. This includes educational campaigns, training sessions for stakeholders, and the dissemination of accurate information to the public to encourage compliance with the linkage directives.
“NIMC will continue to extend its support to NCC by providing assistance in verifying National Identification Numbers (NINs) associated with SIM registrations. Leveraging NIMC’s robust database and authentication infrastructure, telecommunication operators will validate submitted NINs while ensuring the accuracy and integrity of subscriber data.
“NIMC and NCC will collaborate on aligning policies and regulatory frameworks to facilitate the seamless integration of NIN-SIM linkage processes within the telecommunications ecosystem. This includes harmonising data protection and privacy regulations to safeguard the confidentiality and security of subscriber information.”
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It will be recalled that yhe NCC had barred an estimated 40 million telephone lines not linked to NIN following the expiration of the February 28, 2024, deadline.
In a December 2023 notice, the regulator had asked telcos to bar SIMs that had not been linked to their owners’ NINs by February 28, 2024.
MTN Nigeria reported that over 4.2m lines were disconnected from its network after the February 28 deadline given by the NCC.
