Nigerian Communications Commission Orders Reactivation of Disconnected SIMs

Amid the ongoing disconnection of SIMs in Nigeria, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has changed its stance by urging all telecommunications companies to cease the disconnection of subscriber numbers that have not been linked to their National Identification Numbers (NINs).

This change of mind is a result of the challenges faced by subscribers. According to the NCC, “The consumer is our priority. Therefore, considering the challenges the disconnections have caused, the Commission has directed all operators to reactivate all lines that were disconnected over the weekend due to the short time available for consumers to link their NINs with their SIMs.”

The reactivation of the SIMs is for a limited time, giving those who haven’t linked their NINs to their SIMs another chance. However, the expiration time for this grace period was not communicated.

The NCC stated that the implementation aims to improve the country’s security and safeguard citizens. “The objectives of this exercise by the Federal Government of Nigeria include enhancing national security and ensuring the national SIM ownership database is accurate. The NIN-SIM linkage policy aids in verifying and protecting users’ identities while providing critical infrastructure that assures access to the benefits of a robust digital economy for the citizenry,” the statement said.