THE Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has directed telecom service providers to block customers who have not linked their phone numbers to their National Identification Numbers (NIN) by February 28, 2024.
The Executive Vice Chairman of the Commission, Aminu Maida, gave this directive at the 45th Kaduna International Trade Fair through the Director of Public Affairs, Ruben Mouka.
Maida emphasized the critical importance of linking NINs to SIM cards for national security reasons.
He insisted that the February 28th deadline given to telecom operators to bar subscribers who failed to link their NIN to SIM cards still stands.
Maida also revealed that the telecommunications industry contributed 13.5% to the country’s GDP in 2023.
He emphasized that the NCC’s commitment to safeguarding consumer rights, ensuring satisfaction, and fostering an environment that promotes affordable and fair services to support the nation’s economic development.
The NCC strives to ensure service availability, affordability, and sustainability for all consumers using ICT/Telecoms for personal and business purposes, as the regulator of the telecommunications sector.
Maida urged telecom companies to prioritize customer satisfaction and uphold service delivery standards. He highlighted the NCC’s directive for licensed Mobile Network Operators to implement approved Harmonised Short Codes (HSC) starting on May 17, 2023.
He noted that the initiative will allow consumers with over 224 million active mobile lines in Nigeria to access services using the same codes across all networks.
