The Federal Government (FG) has directed telecommunications operators in the country to bar outgoing calls on unlinked lines from April 4, 2022, reports ITREALMS.
He also said, FG has directed all telcos to strictly enforce the policy on all SIMs issued including existing and new ones in Nigeria.
A press statement available to
ITREALMS endorsed by the Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde and Head, Corporate Communications, NIMC, Mr. Kayode Adegoke, quoted the Minister as saying that 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.
"Subscribers of such lines are hereby advised to link their SIMs to their NINs before the telcos can lift the restriction on their lines. Affected individuals are hereby advised 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 said.
The Minister equally commended Nigerians and legal residents for their support during the exercise to link National Identification Number (NIN) to the Subscriber Identification Module (SIM), disclosing that as of date, over 125 Million SIMs have had their NINs submitted for immediate linkage, verification and authentication.
"Similarly, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued over 78 Million unique NINs till date," he said.
ITREALMS recalled that Nigeria's President, General Buhari, gave the directive for the implementation and commencement of the exercise in December 2020, as part of the administration’s security and social policies.
In addition, the deadlines for the NIN-SIM linkage has been extended on multiple occasions to allow Nigerians to freely comply with the policy.
As said by the Minister, FG also took into consideration the passionate appeals by several bodies - Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Civil Societies, Professional Bodies and a host of others - for the extension of the deadlines in the past.
He emphasised that accordingly, Mr. President graciously approved the many requests to extend deadlines for the NIN-SIM linkage.
"At this point, however, 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," he said.
The implementation, he said, impacts on government’s strategic planning, particularly in the areas of security and socio-economic projections.
Further, Pantami applauded President Buhari for his tremendous support and also commended the Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof. Umar Garba Dambatta, the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Aliyu Azeez Abubakar along with their management and staff, as well as other notable bodies whose efforts have seen to the monumental success of the exercise, as well as telcos.
The Minister highlighted the fact that the enrolment for the NIN is a continuous exercise and NIN is a precondition for services in telcos, banks, Nigerian Immigration Service, and several other government services.
He encouraged Nigerians and legal residents to visit NIN registration centers for the enrollment and issuance of valid NINs.
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