NIN: Why previously linked SIM cards were barred — NCC

The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has given reasons why some SIM cards previously linked to their owners National Identification Numbers (NINs) were barred.

The NCC spokesman, Reuben Muoka, spoke in an interview on Channels Television on Monday.

Muoka said, “People who probably didn’t get a cleared or verified NIN” have been barred because “the earlier ones they

“There are still some subscribers whose NINs are yet to be verified by NIMC and those have to also be corrected,” he added.

The NCC spokesperson said some lines were barred because the information on the NIN did not tally with what the customers registered with their SIM cards.

He said subscribers will have to visit the outlets of their service providers to validate their NINs and resolve other matters.

Muoka said, “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.

“Take it that everybody who has not submitted his NIN to the service providers have been barred.

“Actually, the service providers starting barring people many days to the deadline,” he said.

Muoka, however, said it will be difficult to tell the actual number of phone lines that have been barred, until the NCC conducts an audit before the end of the week.

He said the NIN-SIM linkage will make Nigerians have a digital identity and this will help to tackle insecurity the country.

“The whole essence is actually 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 a number of things.

“Even the banks are now asking their customers to link their NINs to their Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs). It is actually to make a holistic package of all your digital services,” he said.