NCC confirms completion of SIM-NIN linkage

The Executive Vice-Chairman of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Aminu Maida, said on Thursday the commission has completed the linkage of all Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards to the National Identification Numbers (NINs).

Maida stated this at the 2024 annual corporate governance conference held in Lagos.

The Federal Government had in December 2020 directed telecommunication companies to block unregistered SIM cards and others not linked to NINs.

The NCC in August announced September 14 as the deadline for the linkage of the SIM cards to NINs.

At the programme, the NCC chief acknowledged the challenges faced by Nigerians during the process.

READ ALSO: SIM-NIN saga continues, as lawyer files N10bn suit against NCC, telcos

He stressed that the initiative was an important starting point for accountability in Nigeria.

Maida said: “We have recently concluded the implementation of the federal government’s 2020 policy of linking every phone number to a NIN.

“Though it was a bit painful for Nigerians, I think we also need to appreciate what that does for us.

“Today, there is no phone number that we cannot associate with a verified NIN. Not just a number, but a number that has been verified.

“If this phone number is involved in fraud or any crime, I can now authoritatively say, based on the NIN linked to it, this is the person who is using that phone number.”

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