The October 31 cut off deadline set by the Nigerian Communication Commission,NCC, for subscribers to link their Subscriber Identity Module, SIM card numbers with National Identity Numbers,NIN, remains unchanged and will not be extended.
In a statement Wednesday,the NCC Director of public Affairs,DPA,Dr Ilechukwu Adinde reminds Nigerians that the relevant authorities will deny any consumers without NINs the opportunity of acquiring driving licences and international passports after the deadline .
It will be recalled that the country’s telecoms sector regulator said that relevant authorities would also deny any Nigerians without NINs the opportunity of acquiring driving licences and international passports henceforth.
In the statement titled ‘NIN-SIM Integration: NCC sensitises telecoms consumers on October 31 Deadline’.
The Commission also sensitised telecoms consumers through the NCC Digital Signature radio programme, which transmitted the second episode of Telecoms Consumer Town Hall on Radio (live on a radio station in Lagos to discuss benefits of NIN-SIM integration.
Dr. Adinde said: “NCC has reminded and urged telecoms consumers to link their NINs with their SIMs before the expiration of the deadline of October 31, 2021, set by the Federal Government.
“Speaking during the live programme, Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, advised Nigerians to make use of the extension of the NIN-SIM integration exercise to October 31, 2021, to enrol with NIMC, get their NINs and link them to their SIMs.”
Dr Adinde reminded users that in a little while, Nigerians without NINs “will be denied of necessary services that play vital roles in their lives, including acquisition of driving licences, passports.”
Said he, on the benefits of the NIN-SIM integration, ” the exercise will significantly enhance national security as NIN is the primary identity for Nigerians.”
“In line with Federal Government’s commitment to ensuring that Nigeria deploys technology to improve service delivery, the NIN-SIM database will enhance citizens’ access to government services.”
In his remarks on the issue while speaking on the show, Mr. Efosa Idehen, Director of Consumer Affairs Bureau (CAB) of NCC, also said “those SIMs without unique identification could be used to commit crimes that remain untraceable.”
Also in her own contribution,Funmi Opesanwo, Regional Director of NIMC, who also spoke on the programme, was quoted to have said that a consumer’s submission of his or her NIN to a mobile network operator would help to provide a means of verifying the individual’s identity while safeguarding both identity and mobile line.
Source: ConsumerConnect
