Thousands of Nigerians have flocked to telecommunication stores nationwide after major networks like MTN, Glo, and Airtel began barring lines not linked with a National Identification Number (NIN) over the weekend.
Many Nigerians woke up to find their lines barred, particularly on the MTN network. Numerous affected individuals reported that their lines had been linked and shared screenshots of previous SIM-NIN success messages.
“I had to go to their office after church. It’s not yet rectified. I just got home. I can only call and receive on WhatsApp using WiFi,” said Nike Benson, an affected subscriber. “They said the name on the SIM is Hellen Ajibade, but I don’t know the person. I have been using the number for over 20 years.”
Another subscriber, Shina, shared a similar experience: “I just heard a voice prompt that informed me that my line has been barred because I failed to link my NIN to my line. It also told me to visit the nearest MTN shop to reconnect my line.”
Since Saturday, social media has been abuzz with tweets about barred lines. User @obasagodwin tweeted, “@MTNNG, how many times do I have to link my NIN with my line?” while @Ada_Daddyya expressed frustration, “Why in heaven’s name is MTN blocking my lines even after I’ve registered my NIN? What is wrong with that company?”
@Emedymessi lamented, “My MTN line was just barred this morning. As in my own precious line that I’ve been using for more than 10 years now. I’ve linked my NIN more than how many times, but they keep sending me messages to link it again.” @The_Barr_OluT added, “MTN barred my SIM, and on a Sunday. Even after submitting my NIN like 6 times.”
On Monday, long queues formed outside telco stores that had yet to open. The MTN store at Bode Thomas in Lagos saw a line spilling onto the sidewalks, while the MTN office at Dada Estate Area in Osogbo, Osun State, witnessed an influx of subscribers. Similarly, many gathered at the MTN office in Abakaliki, only to find staff absent.
In December 2023, the NCC directed all telecommunications operators to fully bar SIMs that had not submitted their NINs by February 28, 2024. Customers who had submitted their NINs but remained unverified were to be barred by April 15, 2024. This deadline was extended to July 31, 2024. Additionally, no customer can have more than four active SIMs, with excess SIMs barred by March 29, 2024. This directive is part of the Federal Government’s NIN-SIM harmonization exercise to update SIM registration records.
The NCC’s stringent stance aims to clean the country’s SIM ownership database and enhance national security. At a forum in Lagos, Dr. Aminu Maida, the NCC’s executive vice chairman, emphasized the importance of preventing criminals from exploiting multiple unlinked SIMs for illegal activities.
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The Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has debunked rumors linking the latest SIM barring to the planned August 1 protest. ALTON Chairman, Mr. Gbenga Adebayo, clarified that the timing was coincidental and urged subscribers to resolve their issues with their network providers.
“I have received inquiries about this issue. No organization or association is barring lines because of the proposed protest. Telecommunications companies are service providers and operate on a non-discriminatory basis. Our hands are clean. Go to your network service provider, and your issue will be addressed,” said Adebayo.
MTN Nigeria has announced that affected subscribers can unblock their SIMs without visiting their offices. In a tweet on Sunday, the telecom giant provided instructions for unblocking lines online: “Unblock your line anytime, anywhere! Get started at http://nin.mtn.ng. Need additional support from our stores? We are open 7 days a week.”
