Considering the difficulties experienced by many telephone subscribers in linking their Subscriber Identity Modules (SIM) cards with their National Identity Numbers (NIN), we commend the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) for extending the deadline for the deactivation of unlinked phone lines of some subscribers from April 15, 2024 to July 31, 2024.
We also believe that the new deadline will afford all stakeholders the opportunity to address the hiccups experienced by telephone subscribers in the SIM-NIN linkage exercise. The significance of the linkage exercise can hardly be overemphasised in a country like ours where insecurity is steadily on the rise. Moreover, the country has recently witnessed rising cases of kidnapping and abduction of schoolchildren and other Nigerians in different parts of the country.
The SIM-NIN linkage policy was introduced by the Federal Government in December 2020 to check incessant attacks by bandits and terrorists. It was then envisaged that the SIM-NIN linkage would help in tracking terrorists, bandits, kidnappers and other criminals who operate with phone lines. Indeed, it helped in apprehending some criminals as well as putting them on check.
However, more than three years after, many Nigerians have not linked their phone lines with their NINs. Despite setting some deadlines to enable these Nigerians carry out the SIM-NIN linkage exercise, many have not done it. This is probably why the NCC issued a directive that all telecom operators in the country should bar all telephone lines in their network not linked to NIN.
Earlier, the commission had given April 15, 2024 as the deadline for the SIM-NIN linkage after which all unlinked phone numbers will be barred. The NCC had rolled out the disconnection exercise in three phases. The initial and second phases took place on February 28 and March 29, 2024.
About 40 million SIMs not linked to NINs were barred at the end of the March exercise by NCC. The body is seemingly convinced that defaulters were not committed to the SIM-NIN linkage exercise. While some telephone subscribers might be lethargic about the exercise, some others might have experienced some glitches in the linkage exercise. This is probably why some people have canvassed for the extension of the deadline for the deactivation of unlinked phone lines.
Therefore, it is cheering that the NCC has heeded the calls and finally extended the deadline to July 31 for some subscribers. We urge the affected telephone subscribers to use the remaining period of grace to ensure that they complete the linkage exercise. The exercise should not be allowed to go on forever. Moving forward, anyone who buys a new phone line should do the linkage without further delay. Those issuing the NINs should avoid extorting Nigerians. Henceforth, there is need to synchronise the data on our various identity cards such as passport, voters’ card, and driver’s licence.
However, the SIM-NIN linkage exercise should be made seamless for telephone subscribers. During the last exercise, subscribers were reported to have spent days visiting telecoms offices and their agents to be captured. Others could not have their data uploaded on the National Identity Management Agency (NIMC) server. This frustrated many subscribers from completing the linkage exercise.
The linkage exercise should not be used to punish Nigerians or subject them to undue stress. The process must be simplified and the time for visiting the telecoms offices considerably reduced. Let the telecoms open more offices where people can easily do the linkage without having to spend days and weeks doing so.
We expect that the glitches in the previous exercise should be rectified. Extending the deadline without addressing the hiccups would lead to another round of incomplete registration exercise.
While the SIM-NIN linkage will boost security, we urge the security agencies to maximise it to enhance the nation’s security. Unfortunately, kidnappers and terrorists have continued to use phone lines to call the families of their victims without being tracked by security agents. Also, the ransom payments channelled through the banks have not been tracked. Beyond the new deadline of July 31, we believe that the linkage exercise should be a continuous exercise as done in other countries.