The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has issued a directive to telecom giants, including MTN Nigeria and Airtel, instructing them to fully deactivate phone lines lacking National Identity Numbers (NINs) or those with unverified NINs.
MTN Nigeria, in a filing with the Nigerian Exchange Limited, revealed the NCC’s directive and the associated deadlines.
Phones without submitted NINs are to be barred by February 28, 2024, while lines with submitted but unverified NINs (where there are five or more linked lines) face a deadline of March 29, 2024. For lines with less than five linked to an unverified NIN, the cutoff date is April 15, 2024. Subscribers affected by these measures are required to undergo biometric and biodata verification before their lines can be unblocked.
This directive follows a previous NCC order from April 2022, which required operators to restrict outgoing calls for subscribers whose lines were not linked with NINs. MTN Nigeria is actively encouraging affected subscribers to submit their NINs for verification, assuring them that efforts are being made to enhance the capacity of service outlets for a smoother and more efficient process.
The company has expressed its commitment to complying with the NCC directive, working with the National Identity Management Commission to expedite the NIN verification process.
MTN has pledged its cooperation with the Federal Government to ensure adherence to the industry-wide directive from the NCC, promising to provide investors with updates on progress and potential impacts alongside the release of its FY 2023 results.
