
This development was confirmed by two senior telecom officials who could not comment publicly on the situation.
Nigerian telecommunications firms have started the last stage of disconnecting phone connections, or Subscriber Identity Module numbers, that are not associated with National Identity Numbers.
This development was confirmed by two senior telecom officials who could not comment publicly on the situation.
The Nigeria Communications Commission decided to defer the disconnection from April 15, 2024 to July 31, 2024 after carefully examining the numerous issues raised by subscribers and their requests for extensions.
This is an industry problem; it’s not just about MTN. One of the executives stated, “A statement from the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria will be shared very soon.
The other source claimed that the mandate came from the industry regulator, the NCC, and emphasized that many channels had been made available to make the procedure easier for users.
Customers are our subscribers; we cannot begin cutting them off from their service. In order to join their lines with NIN, it’s crucial that these subscribers agree, the official said.
Adeolu Ogunbanjo, the president of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers, did not respond to calls seeking comment.
There are worries, meanwhile, that the telecom companies disconnected phone lines before the deadline of July 31. Social media users are furious about this and have taken to sharing their stories and grievances with X.
Many consumers have complained that even after finishing the connection exercise and presenting proof of their compliance, their SIM cards were blocked.
Bashir Ahmad, the former president Muhammadu Buhari’s digital communications assistant, tweeted, “It appears MTN has
Bashir Ahmad, the former president Muhammadu Buhari’s digital communications assistant, tweeted, “It appears MTN has blocked hundreds of numbers from their network today.” I am surrounded by many others who have complained about losing service. Has this problem been experienced by anyone else?
In a frustrated post, Kensola, a different user, said, “It still surprises me that my MTN line will just be blocked temporarily for no justification.” I provided a link.
response, Tall John stated, “As far as I know, the blocked phone numbers have different SIM registration and NIN details.” Additionally, I recall that SMS messages were even sent to the impacted phone lines, and the public was informed about how to resolve the issue. However, proponents of doomsaying claim that the network providers are blocking specific phone lines due to the planned demonstration.
Jude Bela questioned MTN’s actions as well, asking, “MTNNG, what’s the deal with banning lines that are already connected to the NIN? My NIN is still linked, as I recently verified, however my phone seemed to be disabled. It’s a really convenient moment to be creating distress to Nigerians. “Why” is the question.
subscribers with four SIM cards connected to a single phone line are the target of the disconnection phase.
Three stages have been involved in the disconnection procedure, which got underway in February. On February 28, 2024, the first phase took place, and on March 29, 2024, the second phase.
About 40 million lines that were not connected to NINs were blocked, according to the industry regulator, at the first deadline on February 28, 2024.
In an exclusive interview with Sunday, Gbenga Adebayo, the chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria, revealed this information and voiced concerns that many active users could be barred if a solution is not offered by Tuesday.
He claimed that the Nigerian Communications Commission has been notified of the issue, and the telcos are now awaiting a response from the regulatory body via the proper channels.
The NCC ordered all telecom providers to implement complete network blocking of all SIMs that have not submitted their NIN by February 28, 2024, at the latest, in December 2023. Forty million phone lines were debarred as a result of this exercise.
Similarly, on April 15, 2024, clients who have filed their NINs but have not been validated were to be blocked. However, the deadline was moved to July 31, 2024. In addition, regulations were released stating that a subscriber is only permitted to have four active SIM cards, and that any additional SIM cards will be blocked by March 29, 2024.
This instruction is a component of the continuing NIN-SIM harmonization effort by the Federal Government, which mandates that all customers update SIM registration records with authentic NIN information.
However, while giving an update on the issue during the interview, the ALTON chairman said the verification and validation are not handled by the operators but by the NIMC.
He said, “Well, the verification turnaround remains a concern. We all know that verification and validation are not done at the level of the operator, it is done at the level of NIMC, so that remains a concern to us. But we are providing the relevant feedback to our regulator, seeking their necessary intervention when and where required.
This instruction is a component of the continuing NIN-SIM harmonization effort by the Federal Government, which mandates that all customers update SIM registration records with authentic NIN information.
In response to a question regarding the anticipated quantity of phone lines that this difficulty will impact, Adebayo stated, “I don’t have that amount in front of me right now. However, as I mentioned earlier, we are giving the NCC, our regulator, comments. And I have no doubt that the regulator will act responsibly if it becomes necessary to request an additional extension or review.
The number of blocked lines has not yet been released by other major providers, but research indicates that MTN blocked subscribers who were not authenticated on Sunday.
Reuben Mouka, the NCC Director of Public Affairs, did not answer multiple calls to his phone lines, therefore attempts to contact him regarding the commission’s action on the matter and a potential extension were unsuccessful.
As of the filing of this article, Lanre Yusuf, the Director of IT/IDD at the National Identity Management Commission, had not responded to messages left on his line despite his commitment to do so.
As of the filing of this article, Lanre Yusuf, the Director of IT/IDD at the National Identity Management Commission, had not responded to messages left on his line despite his commitment to do so.
As part of establishing transparency and integrity in the sector, telecom operators have stated that an ongoing audit of the industry billing system is underway.
As of the filing of this article, Lanre Yusuf, the Director of IT/IDD at the National Identity Management Commission, had not responded to messages left on his line despite his commitment to do so.
As part of establishing transparency and integrity in the sector, telecom operators have stated that an ongoing audit of the industry billing system is underway.
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