NCC alerts: SIMs Unaffiliated With NIN Will Be Disabled At The End Of The Month.

 SIM cards that have not yet been connected to National Identity Numbers (NINs) will be terminated by the end of February, according to Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC). He revealed this to reporters on the 6th of February 

Mr Maida stated, "By the end of this month, SIMs without NIN will no longer work.”  

In December 2020, the government ordered telecom providers to stop accepting calls from unregistered and unlinked NINs, marking the start of the mandatory linking.

It was anticipated that the policy would aid law enforcement in combating terrorists and bandits who regularly kidnap and murder innocent people. Many phone lines are still unlinked even after deadlines were extended. 

"Pre-registered or illegally registered SIM has been a challenge for a long time," Mr. Maida acknowledged in a speech on Tuesday. A policy was implemented in 2021 to link NIN with SIMs in the hopes that this would solve the issue, however others in the value chain exploited the gaps. 

He clarified that the panel would prioritize the interests of the public, the government, license holders, and businesses.