The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has said it won’t extend the February 28 deadline for the linkage of the Subscribers’ Identity Modules (SIM) with the National Identity Numbers (NIN).
The Commission stated this on Thursday through its Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, who insisted that the Commission has given adequate notice to subscribers through various platforms of its intention to bar lines that had not been linked with NIN.
Muoka said that the Commission would not change its stance on the matter although many Nigerian have made a strong case for an extension of the deadline by another month to allow about 12 million unregistered Nigerians avail themselves of the fresh opportunity.
It was gathered that the development has put pressure on the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, as Nigerians thronged their offices nationwide to beat the deadline.
For the chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, telecom operators had no choice but to comply with the NCC’s directive.
Adebayo confirmed that no fewer than 12 million lines out of the 224 million active lines risked deactivation all around the country.
“About 12 million SIM cards may not have been linked to NIN. Some of these SIM cards work on modems and mifi devices. According to the regulatory directives, those numbers that are not properly linked to NIN will have services withdrawn to them by midnight of 28th February (yesterday). We stand by that regulatory directive and we are going to comply.”
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