Telcos Begin Fresh Rounds of SIM Disconnection March 29, April 15

*NCC says disconnection will be massive but will address anomalies

Emma Okonji

After the first round of disconnection of 42 million Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards in February 28, which lasted for five days, telecoms operators (Telcos) will begin fresh rounds of SIM disconnection on Friday this week (March 29) and April 15, THISDAY has learnt.

Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), and spokesperson for Telcos, Gbenga Adebayo, had told THISDAY shortly after the February 28 disconnection exercise that the next phase of disconnection will take place Mach 29, with another phase coming up April 15, 2024, according to the directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), the telecoms industry regulator.

A reliable source from NCC, who confirmed the fresh rounds of disconnection, however told THISDAY that the next disconnection exercise would be massive because several subscribers have not been able to link their SIM cards to their National Identification Number (NIN). The source also said the disconnection exercise would help address several anomalies in the NIN enrolment and NIN-SIM linkage exercises.

THISDAY investigation into the anomalies, showed that there were massive duplications of SIM cards and NINS traced to single individuals, where a single individual could register as much as 1,000 SIM cards with multiple NINs, a development that negates the security architecture of the country.
THISDAY also learnt that the March 29 disconnection exercise would be focused on telecoms subscribers that have more than five registered SIM cards that are attached to unverified NIN, while the April 15 disconnection exercise would be focused on subscribers that have less than five registered SIM cards that are attached to unverified NIN.

The February 28 disconnection exercise, where 42 million SIM cards were disconnected in five days, was focused on subscribers whose SIM cards were connected to devices such as MiFi and tablets, but were not linked to their NIN.

NCC therefore urged telecoms subscribers with multiple SIM cards to link such SIMs to their NIN before Friday Mach 29 and April 15, to avoid disconnection.

Although telecoms operators are pushing for extension of the deadlines, to avoid the huge revenue loss they suffered after the February 28 disconnection exercise, where several SIM cards belonging to their valued customers were barred, but NCC said there would be no extension of deadline.

NCC however said it may give some considerations to telecoms operators who have empirical data to show that their subscribers who have not been able to link their SIM cards to their NIN, have made efforts to do so, but encountered some network resistance.  

Some of the operators told THISDAY that they suffered huge revenue loss from disconnecting their valued customers who could not link their SIM cards to their NIN because of network challenges emanating from the backend of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

THISDAY gathered that telecoms operators have individually and collectively, financed network equipment for NIMC to enable it carry out NIN-SIM linkage verification, yet millions of subscribers still find it difficult to link their SIMs to their NIN because of network issues from NIMC.          

Adebayo however said telecoms operators have commenced the immediate reconnection of SIM cards of those subscribers that have been able to submit their NINs, and had them linked and verified, adding that the reconnection exercise is ongoing.

NCC, had last December, gave orders to telecoms operators to commence full barring of all unregistered and improperly registered SIM cards on their networks that have not been linked to the NIN of the SIM card holder.

The telecoms regulator had also insisted that the implementation exercise must be carried out in full by the telcos.