The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has ordered all telecom companies in Nigeria to block the SIM cards of all users who have not linked their National Identification Number (NIN) to their line, starting from 28 February 2024.
However, this is not the first time the NCC has given this instruction to the telecom companies in the country. The commission started emphasizing the need for telephone subscribers to link their NIN to their line in 2021. Nevertheless, statistics still show that only 40% of subscribers did so.
According to Dr Aminu Maida, the Executive Vice Chairman of the NCC, the importance of linking NINs to SIM cards is at a critical national security level.
In addition, Maida stressed that this directive by the NCC was made to promote and develop the local telecom industry in a secure, accessible, and affordable pattern for consumers who require the services for personal and business operations.
However, the implementation of this directive by the NCC to the Nigerian telecom operators comes with its set of challenges. For example, telecom operators like MTN, who have millions of subscribers across the country, look at the scale challenges.
First, to ensure that each sim card is linked to a NIN, the telecom operator is required to handle a large volume of data while developing a fast and reliable system for verification. Other technical issues include a system integration and overload problem that is notable due to the surge of subscribers trying to link the NIN to their sim cards at the same time, leading to a slower processing time or total system downtime.
Then there are the data privacy and security issues that many subscribers emphasize about sharing personal, sensitive information. The NCC ensured that the process would follow the standard privacy policy and secure the user data throughout the linkage process.
However, the deadline set by the NCC has placed additional pressure on subscribers who do not want their lines barred. Typically, many subscribers trying to access registration centers to immediately link their lines were met with a multitude of fellow subscribers waiting to get registered, while the registration centers are understaffed.