The National Communication Commission (NCC) has warned telecoms customers in the country to link their National Identification Numbers (NIN) to SIM cards or face disconnection.
The warning, given by the Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Dr Aminu Maida, was conveyed through a statement on Wednesday, noting that as a matter of critical national security, telecom Consumers must link their NIN to their SIMs.
Maida, who spoke at the NCC’s Special Day during the ongoing 45th Kaduna International Trade Fair, said:
“The National Communication Commission has directed all telecommunication operators to bar phone lines of subscribers whose lines are not linked to their NINs on or before February 28.”
Maida, who was represented by the Commission’s Director of Public of Public Affairs Reuben Mouka, said as a regulator of the telecommunications sector in the country, the Commission carries out its functions to ensure service availability, affordability, and sustainability for all categories of consumers, who are leveraging on ICT/Telecoms to drive personal and business activities.
He added that the NCC has established a robust regulatory framework that promotes transparency, quality of service, and fair competition, adding that it has set up channels for consumer redress, ensuring that consumers can resolve disputes in a timely and efficient manner.
“With this year’s trade fair theme, ‘Sustaining Economic Recovery through Deepening Local Content Value Chain’, Maida stated that it is extremely important as it resonates deeply with the principles and objectives of the NCC on the promotion of local content development in the telecoms industry.
“Our vision at NCC is to create a dynamic regulatory environment that ensures universal access to affordable and equitable service and supports the nation’s economic growth.
“To this end, the Nigerian Communications Commission had on May 17, 2023, directed all licensed Mobile Network Operators (MNO to commence implementation of approved Harmonized Short Codes (HSC) for providing services to Nigerian telecom consumers.
“The measure was initiated by the Commission in a bid to improve the Quality of Experience (QoE) of consumers across all mobile networks.
“The new initiative is enabling consumers using the over 224 million active mobile telephone lines in Nigeria to use the same codes to access services across all networks. For instance, the same code *310# will be used for checking airtime balance across all the networks.
“Campaign on National Identification Number-Subscriber Identification Module (NIN-SIM) Linkage – NIN-SIM Linkage is a process of connecting your NIN to your phone number to authenticate and protect your identity. To link your NIN to your SIM, a subscriber needs to submit his/her NIN to their respective Service Provider to complete the process of NIN-SIM linkage.”
“For subscribers who do not have the National Identification Number (NIN), they can obtain theirs from National Identification Management Commission (NIMC) Enrolment Centres of Your Service Providers Customer Care Centres, and you need a valid ID Card and BVN for enrollment.
“A subscriber can also link his/her NIN to his/her SIM by sending NIN- your 11 digit NIN to 996 or Dial 996,” he said.