This directive was contained in a press statement made available to newsmen by the NCC Director of Media and Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has ordered the immediate reactivation of all SIM cards barred by the telecommunication companies in the country due to the non-linkage of National Identification Numbers to SIM cards.
This directive was contained in a press statement made available to newsmen by the NCC Director of Media and Public Affairs, Reuben Muoka.
Recall that thousands of Nigeria, on Sunday, woke up to their SIM cards being barred by the MTN management.
The company claimed that the affected subscribers did not link their National Identification Number (NIN) with their SIM cards.
The disconnection comes as Nigerian regulators pressure telcos to implement the NIN-linkage policy introduced in December 2020.
In February 2024, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) told telcos to bar subscribers who failed to link their phone numbers to their NIN on or before February 28, 2024.
The deadline was extended to April 15, 2024, and later July 31, 2024.
SaharaReporters also credibly heard that MTN had begun to comply with this directive, as some users were allowed to use their sim cards for voice calls and data connections on Monday afternoon despite no efforts to link them with NIN or register them.
SaharaReporters also reported that scores of Nigerians stormed the offices of the giant telecommunication company, MTN Group Limited in major cities in the country to protest the blockage and disconnection of their SIM cards.