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NCC Orders Restoration of SIM over Subscribers Protest
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) on Monday directed telecommunication companies to immediately restore all the telephone lines of subscribers that were blocked
This directive from the NCC came after thousands of customers stormed the offices of the firms in protest of their blocked SIM cards.
Subscribers whose telephone lines were blocked due to the non-linkage of their National Identification Numbers to SIM cards besieged the offices of the companies less than 24 hours after the incident.
The NCC, in a statement issued on Monday by the Director of Media and Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka, explained that the directive to restore the blocked telephone lines was in response to the widespread disruption and subscriber outrage caused by the blockages.
On Sunday, many subscribers found themselves unable to access their phone lines after failing to verify their NINs with SIMs, leading to their numbers being blocked in compliance with NIN-SIM linkage regulations.
The disconnection of the telephone lines coincided with the anticipated August 1 nationwide protests, raising concerns among citizens about a potential communication disruption.
However, the industry regulator and the telcos rebuked the insinuation, stating that the disconnection was in line with the data harmonisation exercise.
The NCC said, “The consumer is our priority; therefore, considering the challenges the blockages have caused, the commission has directed all operators to reactivate all lines that were disconnected over the weekend, because of the short time available for consumers to undertake the verification of their NINs with their SIMs”.
It clarified that the affected consumers should note that this reactivation was for a limited period to allow them to properly link their NINs to their SIMs.
The commission urged all subscribers who had not yet verified their SIMs to do so promptly to maintain access to their services.
The mandatory linkage of NINs with SIMs, initiated in December 2020, was geared towards enhancing the country’s security and ensuring an accurate SIM ownership database. Despite several deadline extensions, including the latest to July 31, 2024, many lines remain unverified.
Since December 2023, the commission has reviewed the deadline multiple times. Initially, April 15, 2024, was set as the deadline for the full barring of subscribers with four or fewer SIMs that had unverified NIN details.
This deadline was extended to July 31, 2024, to give consumers more time to ensure their submitted NIN details were properly verified. Despite these extensions, many phone lines are yet to be linked with verified NINs.
In its earnings report for the year ending December 31, 2023, MTN Nigeria disclosed that it disconnected 4.2 million lines after the February 28 deadline for linking SIMs with NINs expired.
MTN stated, “We also had approximately 4.2 million lines disconnected for which the subscribers did not submit their NIN. Several of these lines were low-value subscribers, minimising the revenue impact.”
Airtel Nigeria, the second-largest telecom operator, reported in May that 5.7 million of its subscribers had yet to link their SIMs to NINs.
In its financial report for the quarter ending March 2024, Airtel said it was working with affected customers to ensure smooth verification.
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The Managing Director, Nigerian Ports Authority (NPA), Dr. Abubakar Dantsoho, has said the management will continue to accompany its port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive with the development of the welfare of its personnel.
Dantsoho made the disclosure recently while responding to the commendation by the Maritime Workers Union (MWUN) and the senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations and Government-Owned Companies (SSASGOC) on the clearing of the age-long problem of employee stagnation, when the union paid him a courtesy visit at the Authority’s headquarters in Lagos.
A Statement by NPA’s General Manager Corporate & Strategic Communications, Mr. Ikechukwu Onyemekara, quoted Dantsoho as saying, “our Port infrastructure and equipment modernization drive will go hand-in-hand with continuous staff welfare improvement”.
The NPA MD disclosed that human capital development constitutes the key strategy for creating and sustaining superior performance under his watch, adding that “talent development constitutes a critical success factor for the actualization of the big hairy audacious goals we have set for ourselves especially in the area of Port competitiveness.
“The only way we can meet and indeed exceed stakeholders’ expectations is to deepen the competencies of our human resources assets and boosting their morale.”
Speaking further, Dantsoho commended the Honourable Minister of Marine & Blue Economy, Adegboyega Oyetola, for approving the strategic proposal of the Dantsoho-led Management team that solved the over a decade-long problem of lack of promotion that had fuelled industrial disharmony.
“I must specially appreciate our amiable Minister for graciously approving the multi-pronged stratagem we deployed that cleared all outstanding cases of employee stagnation by conducting examinations in one fell swoop and instituted timelines to forestall a recurrence of such anomaly”, he sad.
Speaking on behalf of the joint maritime labour unions, the President of Senior Staff Association of Statutory Corporations & Government-Owned Companies (SSASCGOC), Comrade Bodunde stated, “In addition to clearance of the backlog of stagnated promotions, we also wish to express our appreciation for the increase in productivity bonuses, provision of end-of-year welfare packages for staff, and the revision of the Financial Guide to the Condition of Service, which now addresses our members’ concerns about inflationary pressures.”
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
National Secretary of the Association of Nigerian Licensed Customs Agents (ANLCA), Elder Olumide Fakanlu, has been elected Vice President of the Federation of ECOWAS Licensed Customs Brokers Association (FELCBA).
The election took place during the FELCBA Congress, held from Tuesday, June 17th to Thursday, June 19th, 2025, in Freetown, Sierra Leone.
Fakanlu’s emergence as Vice President marks a significant achievement for Nigeria within the regional customs brokerage community.
Apart from Fakanlu, Secretary of the Seme Chapter of ANLCA, Austin Nwosu, was also elected, securing the role of Secretary of Relations with Institutions.
The Nigerian delegation played an active role in the congress, with Michael Ebeatu nominated as a member of the electoral officer team, ensuring a fair and transparent election process.
The three-day congress concluded with delegates undertaking a visit to the Sierra Leone Port, offering insights into the host nation’s maritime operations, followed by a recreational trip to the Tokeh Beach.
The newly elected executives are expected to lead FELCBA in its efforts to harmonize customs brokerage practices, promote trade facilitation, and advocate for the interests of licensed customs brokers across the ECOWAS sub-region.
Nkpemenyie Mcdominic, Lagos
In a bid to enhance more enforcement in the nation’s Port, the Nigerian Shippers’ Council (NSC) has reaffirmed its commitment to stronger inter-agency collaboration with the Nigeria Police Force (NPF).
The Council said the collaboration is aimed at enhancing stronger enforcement, compliance and improve operational efficiency across Nigeria’s ports.
Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of NSC, Dr. Pius Akutah, made this known during a visit to the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Kayode Adeolu Egbetokun, at the Force Headquarters, Abuja.
The visit, which he said, focused on strengthening institutional synergy, comes in the wake of growing responsibilities for the NSC under the newly created Ministry of Marine and Blue Economy.
Akutah emphasized the critical role of security agencies in supporting port operations and ensuring regulatory compliance.
He called for the posting of police officers to assist the Council’s monitoring and enforcement teams at key port locations including Lagos, Warri, Onne, Port Harcourt, and Calabar.
“The posting will complement the activities of our revived task teams and enhance our ability to enforce standards across the maritime logistics chain”, he said.
Earlier, the Inspector-General of Police, Dr. Egbetokun, assured the Council of the Force’s readiness to continue supporting the growth of the maritime sector.
The IGP acknowledged that compliance enforcement is essential to the successful implementation of Nigeria’s Blue Economy objectives.
“The NSC and NPF are expected to deepen collaboration in the months ahead, with a shared focus on building a secure, efficient, and competitive port environment”, to the IGP emphasized.
Chinedu Wosu