*The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria asserts the recent barring of some subscribers鈥� lines has nothing to do with a planned national protest in the country, stating 鈥榯here鈥檚 absolutely no connection between the two. The NIN/SIM link registration deadline has earlier been set for 31st July, 2024鈥�

Gbenga Kayode | 绿帽献妻

Against the backdrop of the blockade of millions of telecoms consumers鈥� phone lines over apparent failure to link their National Identification Numbers (NINs) with their Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Cards over the weekend, the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has clarified that members鈥� action has nothing to do with a planned national protest slated to commence from Thursday, August 1, 2024, in the country.

绿帽献妻 reports millions of telecoms subscribers鈥� lines were barred at the weekend in a move some Nigerians suspected to be part of the Federal Government鈥檚 attempt to stifle the planned protest.

However, in response to the insinuation, Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, Chairman and Gbolahan Awonuga, Secretary of ALTON, in a statement issued Monday, July 29, 2024, asserted: 鈥淭he attention of the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has been drawn to some online reports linking the ongoing subscriber line barring exercise, with the planned national protest.

鈥淭here鈥檚 absolutely no connection between the two. The NIN/SIM link registration deadline has earlier been set for 31st July 2024.鈥�

ALTON leadership stated: 鈥淭he fact of the matter is that the harmonisation exercise of the SIM Registration database and National Identity Database has been ongoing for several months. This is aimed at improving the integrity of the National SIM registration database.

鈥淐ustomers who had their lines blocked recently are those whom their service providers found a mismatch between their records on both databases.鈥�

The statement noted the Association as well urged telecoms subscribers to reach their service providers for the resolution of the issue.

NCC directs Telcos to immediately reactivate all blocked phone lines

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) Monday, July 29, intervened in resolving the NIN-SIM issues with the Mobile Network Operators (MNOs), and the Commission directed them to reactivate all blocked phone lines, to enable subscribers to undertake verification of their NINs with SIM Cards within the 鈥渟hort time available for telecoms consumers.鈥�

The NCC also acknowledged that over the weekend, several telecoms consumers/subscribers were unable to access their phone lines because of their inability to verify their NINs with their SIM Cards, Mr. Reuben Muoka, Director Public Affairs (DPA) at NCC, said in a statement Monday.

The Commission also noted that by implication, such consumers鈥� phone numbers were blocked by their telecoms service providers in keeping with laws and policies of the NIN-SIM linkage in Nigeria.

The regulator further reminded telecoms consumers and the general public that the compulsory linkage of NIN with SIM had begun December 2020, when the Federal Government of Nigeria directed telecommunications companies to bar 鈥渦nregistered SIM Cards and SIMs that were not linked to NINs.鈥�

Muoka recalled that since December 2023, the NCC had reviewed the deadline a few times, noting that April 15, 2024, was earlier set as the deadline for the full network barring of subscribers with four or fewer SIMs that had unverified NIN details.

The regulator explained that it again, reviewed the April 15 deadline for NIN-SIM verification to July 31 this year, in order to afford more telecoms consumers additional time to ensure their submitted NIN details are properly verified.

鈥淒espite these extensions, many phone lines are yet to be linked with verified NINs,鈥� Muoka said in the statement.

How to unblock your SIM Cards, by service providers

In line with NCC鈥檚 express directive to MNOs Monday, July 29, 2024, ALTON and operators have put in measures to assist any affected telecoms consumers unblock their blocked phone lines by following these steps:

1. Airtel: Dial *121# and input your eleven-digit NIN number. The subscriber will receive a confirmation message that you have successfully unbarred your Airtel SIM card.
2. EMTS: 9Mobile: Dial *200*8#
3. Glo: Dial *109*Your NIN number# For example if your NIN is 12345678901, you would dial *109*12345678901# Then follow the prompts to submit your NIN for linkage.
4. MTN: If an MTN line is barred, all the subscriber needs to do is visit nin.mtn.ng, to check the NIN status, and if not linked, proceed to link it. During the process, an OTP would be requested, as well as the NIN. After giving consent and submitting the NIN linking request, it will be done and the line will be automatically unbarred.
5. Smile: Send your valid NIN to customercare@smile.com.ng or call 07020444444, you will be asked to provide consent, and upon receipt of customer consent and successful verification of NIN, the line will be unbarred.
6. Spectranet: Call toll-free line 8002345678 and submit your NIN but will have to get your KYC done at Spectranet Store. Customer can email us at care@spectranet.com.ng and submit their NIN but will have to submit their KYC at Spectranet Store. Customer can go to the Spectranet website and submit their NIN online but to complete the process they will have to do KYC at the Spectranet Store.
7. Ntel: Customer should visit any Ntel store with their NIN, the fingerprint is used to call up their existing KYC profile with Ntel for verification, consent is received and the line is updated and unbarred.

ALTON added: 鈥淚n case these online steps fail, subscribers can physically visit any walk-in centres of operators, to unblock their lines.鈥�

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