The Federal Government (FG) has directed all Telcos to strictly enforce the NIN-SIM Policy on all SIMs issued (existing and new) in Nigeria. Outgoing calls will subsequently be barred for telephone lines that have not complied with the NIN-SIM linkage Policy from the 4th of April, 2022.
While President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, gave the directive for the implementation and commencement of the exercise in December 2020, as part of the administration’s security and social policies, the deadline for the NIN-SIM linkage has been extended on multiple occasions to allow Nigerians to freely comply with the Policy.
The FG also said it took into consideration the appeals by several bodies- Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Civil Societies, Professional Bodies and a host of others – for the extension of the deadlines in the past.
According to the FG, over 125 million SIMs have had their NINs submitted for immediate linkage, verification and authentication. However, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued just over 78 million unique NINs till date, leaving a deficit of about 47 million lines.
On behalf of the FG, Isa Ali Pantami, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, commended Nigerians and legal residents for their support during the exercise to link NIN to their respective SIMs.
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The Government has determined that the NIN-SIM Policy implementation can proceed, as machinery has already been put in place to ensure compliance by citizens and legal residents. The implementation impacts on Government’s strategic planning, particularly in the areas of security and socio-economic projections.
Subscribers of lines that are yet to be linked have been advised to link their SIMs to their NINs before the Telcos can lift the restriction on their lines. Affected individuals are to register for their NINs at designated centers and thereafter link the NINs to their SIMs through the channels provided by NIMC and the Telcos, including the NIMC mobile App.
Pantami emphasized that enrolment for the NIN is a continuous exercise and NIN is a precondition for service in Telcos, banks, Nigerian Immigration Service, and for several other government services. He also encouraged Nigerians and legal residents to visit NIN registration centers for the enrollment and issuance of valid NINs.
