Your SIM Will Be Deactivated – NCC Sets Fresh Deadline For Those Without NIN

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has warned that it will be deactivating SIM cards that are yet to be linked to National Identity Numbers (NIN) by the end of February.

NCC Executive Vice Chairman/Chief Executive Officer, Aminu Maida, announced the development during a meeting with journalists on Tuesday, Feb. 6.

“By the end of this month, SIMs without NIN will no longer work,” Maida said.

He explained that illegally registered SIM has been a challenge for the commission.

“Pre-registered or illegally registered SIM has been a challenge for a long time. In 2021, there was a policy to link NIN with SIMs thinking that such will take care of the problem but people in the value chain lashed out on loopholes,” Maida explained.

He added that the commission will hold telecom service providers accountable for service delivery to customers.

“You are going to see a change in the way we make decisions; we are going to be very data-driven. All our decisions are going to be backed up by data as much as possible. We want to reduce subjectiveness and make the right decisions that will improve the industry.

“We intend to hold our licensees accountable for all services. After all, the consumers pay for the services and they expect the service to be at a certain level or point so we will be holding our licensees accountable to ensure they deliver on their obligations to their licenses.

“We need to put smiles back on the faces of consumers. NCC is clear on this; we need to protect the interests of consumers. They remain number one because that is where you extract values from. Yet, the interest of licensed operators will also be protected while we put eyes on their activities to see the level of compliance.” he said.