NCC begins NIN- SIM audit, urges affected subscribers to visit outlets

THE Nigerian Communications Commission ( NCC) said it is about to start the audit of the ongoing NIN- SIM exercise, which will ensure that its objective is achieved as fast as possible.

NCC Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, who disclosed this, said telecoms operators are expected to start bringing in data collected and lines barred, stressing that it is after the audit is completed that the actual number of barred telephone lines would be disclosed.

While the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria ( ALTON) has disclosed that about 40 million lines have been barred, Mouka, who spoke on Channels TV on Monday, to shed more light on the NIN- SIM exercise, said: “It will be difficult to put a figure to the actual number of telephone lines that have been barred. But everybody who has not submitted his or her NINS to the service providers has been removed from the networks. Of course, this barring started, even before the February 28 deadline. Those who have not submitted their NINS have been barred.”

According to him, subscribers whose NINS were not properly verified or cleared had their SIM cards barred because the initial information provided was inadequate. He said issues such as discrepancies in personal details and data mismatch were cited as reasons for the blocks.

Muoka highlighted that some subscribers’ NINS are still pending verification by the National Identity Management Commission ( NIMC) and need to be rectified. He advised affected individuals to visit their service providers’ outlets physically to validate their NINS and address any discrepancies.

“For now, it requires those physical visits to the stations to get it verified and validated but in the future, we hope that this will be done virtually,” the NCC spokesman said.

He said the NIN- SIM linkage has an objective which is to give Nigerians a digital identity to tackle security matters.

“The whole essence is to achieve the convenience that digital services and products will offer. By the time you have your identity together, you will be able to attend to several things. Even the banks are now asking their customers to link their NINS to their Bank Verification Numbers ( BVNS). It is to make a holistic package of all your digital services,” he stated. Answering questions on the poor quality of service lately, Muoka said these are associated with challenges operators are facing in the country, stressing that no operator is happy when services are poor.

According to him, challenges such as fibre cuts, especially during construction, are among the causes of poor service quality.

“The NCC EVC, Dr. Aminu Maida, has charged the operators to move beyond service quality to Quality of Experience, saying subscribers should get benefits for money spent,” he stated.

The NCC spokesman said part of QOE of subscribers is to ensure telcos provide the service, stressing that the NCC is monitoring their compliance. “Operators must comply with the rules of the game. The regulator’s eyes are on the service providers,” he stated.