The Nigerian Communications Commission made a directive on the 15th December 2020, directing all telephone subscribers in Nigeria to register their SIM along with their National Identification Number (NIN). Initially, the NCC had set the deadline date to be on the 30th December 2020, but it has now been shifted due to the inability of many Nigerians to complete the exercise.
There has been a lot of mixed reactions concerning the issue. The new SIM registration procedure has caused many NIN registration offices to be crowded all over the country and many more are reluctant to register due to concerns over privacy issues. It has been reported by some people that their lines have been blocked by their service providers, and a lot of people online have been recommending measures to prevent being blocked.
However, the NCC has made a press release to clarify issues regarding this whole process. This press release was made by the Vice-Chairman of NCC, Professor Umar Garba Danbatta, on the 7th of January 2020. In the press release, it was stated that up to 7 SIMs can be linked to a unique National Identification Number. This is because it has been discovered that every subscriber has up to 4 or 5 SIMs on average.
They also explained that this exercise is for the good of all Nigerians, therefore we should not have fears over the whole issue. The whole process is done to enhance security and a better Nigeria for us all.
Finally, it was also said that the Honourable Minister of Communication and Digital Economy has made a commitment that the Government will continue to review the exercise in the light of experiences to ensure its smooth implementation.
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