42 Million SIM Cards Barred Across Nigerian Telecoms Networks in Five Days

Since the commencement of total SIM card disconnection on February 28, a total of 42 million Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards belonging to telecoms subscribers have been barred from receiving and making calls, according to reports.

Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria and spokesperson of telecoms operators, Gbenga Adebayo, who revealed the number of disconnected SIM cards since February 28, said those affected were mainly connected to devices such as MiFi and tablets, which the subscribers did not link to their National Identification Number (NIN).

According to him, such SIM cards were connected to the devices before the year 2022 and they had not been in use hence the subscribers did not see the need to link them to their NIN.

Since the commencement of SIM card disconnection on February 28, as directed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), millions of subscribers whose SIM cards were disconnected, have not been able to make or receive calls.

NCC had last December, given orders to telecoms operators (Telcos) to commence full barring of all unregistered and improperly registered SIM cards on their networks that had not been linked to the NIN of the SIM card holder.

“It is a directive that is in accordance with regulatory orders and we have commenced total disconnection of all unregistered SIM cards and all SIM cards that are not linked to NIN.

“Since NCC gave the directive in December last year, we have carried out several campaigns to sensitise telecoms operators on the need to ensure proper registration of their SIM cards and to also link same to their NIN,” Adebayo said.

Emma Okonji