SIM Disconnection Unrelated to Planned Protest” – ALTON Chairman

Gbenga Adebayo, chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators in Nigeria (ALTON), has shared reasons why SIM cards without linked National Identification Numbers were barred before the July 31, 2024 deadline given by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC).

In a recent interview with Arise TV, the ALTON chairman explained that the time frame required to deactivate SIM cards warranted the early action taken by telcos ahead of the deadline. “The process of disconnecting lines takes a few hours, and in order to meet up with the deadline, the action has to commence a few days before. There was no other motive involved, asides the fact that we needed to comply with already laid down guidelines by regulators”, said Adebayo.

He further explained ALTON had repeatedly sought the extension of deadlines from NCC since 2020, to give Nigerians ample time to properly link their SIM cards to their National Identification Numbers. “We have been on this since 2020. The last deadline was actually set for end of April this year, and when we got to that point, we updated the government on the compliance rate and sought a three month extension which was granted.”

Speaking on the grievances of subscribers who insisted they had linked their National Identification Number (NIN) but still had their numbers barred, Gbenga Adebayo revealed that this was mostly as a result of disparity in personal information submitted during the SIM registration process and that which was submitted at the point of registration for the National Identification Number. “The SIM registration and NIMC records must align. If there is disparity in any of these records, the data will come back unverified,” He said.

The chairman also noted that subscribers with unverified data are often prompted via text messages and in-call announcements to rectify the issue at service centres, but not all comply. He emphasized the need for people to provide correct and accurate data for the good of the nation. “You cannot build a sustainable national database with discrepancies in data. Uniformity has to be guaranteed for us to have a reliable data base”.

Furthermore, he stated that telecommunications service providers were open to addressing the individual complaints of people who insist that the barring of their lines was done in error.

Gbenga Adebayo refuted claims that Nigerian telcos were colluding with the government to impede the connectivity of Nigerians ahead of the nationwide protests scheduled to hold on August 1, 2024. “There is no connection between the disconnection of services of people with unlinked SIM cards and the planned protests. We provide services on a non-discriminatory basis and have no political affiliation. Our social contract is to provide services to all persons at all times regardless of their beliefs, and we stand by it”.

Although the NCC has directed that all barred SIM cards be reactivated, the linking of SIM Cards and NIN remains mandatory for all Nigerians. Despite the new extension period granted by the commission being currently unknown, Nigerians who are yet take the necessary steps are urged to do so, to avoid loss of connectivity at the end of the deadline.