Telecom providers in Nigeria have received a fresh instruction from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to block phone lines that are not linked with National Identity Numbers (NINs) by February 28, 2024.
This most recent order was issued in response to the NCC’s order from April 4, 2022, which mandated that operators limit outgoing calls (also known as one-way barring) for customers whose lines are not connected to NINs.
The directive further stated that NINs that have been filed but not verified are likewise to be completely blocked, and that lines with five or more lines linked to an unconfirmed NIN that have been submitted but not validated are to be barred on or before March 29, 2024.
In a same vein, lines that have less than five connections to an unconfirmed NIN will be blocked by April 15, 2024, at the latest, the directive posited.
The directive states that before their lines are unbarred, all impacted subscribers must undergo biometric and biodata verification.
Meanwhile, MTN Nigeria, in a notice to the Nigerian Exchange Limited, said, it is further engaging the affected subscribers through all its channels to encourage them to submit their NINs for verification.
Source: https://leadership.ng/ncc-orders-telecom-operators-to-bar-sims-not-linked-with-nins/