NIN: FG directs telcos to bar outgoing calls on all unlinked lines

The federal government has directed telecommunication companies to bar all outgoing calls on all lines yet to be linked with the National Identification Number (NIN) from today, April 4, 2022.

The Director, Public Affairs of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Ikechukwu Adinde and the Head, Corporate Communications of NIMC, Kayode Adegoke disclosed this in a joint statement on Monday.

“It would be recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari gave the directive for the implementation and commencement of the exercise in December 2020, as part of the administration’s security and social policies.

READ ALSO: Telecoms operators explain why you may experience signal blackout

“The deadlines for the NIN-SIM linkage have been extended on multiple occasions to allow Nigerians to freely comply with the Policy. The FG also took into consideration the passionate appeals by several bodies – Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), Civil Societies, Professional Bodies and a host of others – for the extension of the deadlines in the past,” the statement reads.

“Accordingly, Mr. President graciously approved the many requests to extend deadlines for the NIN-SIM linkage. At this point however, the Government has determined that the NIN-SIM Policy implementation can proceed, as machinery has already been put in place to ensure compliance by citizens and legal residents. The implementation impacts on Government’s strategic planning, particularly in the areas of security and socio-economic projections.”