Nigerians Decry NCC’s Order To Block SIM Cards Without To National Identity Numbers In Two Weeks

Nigerians have decried Nigerian Communications Commission’s order to block SIM cards that are not registered with National Identity Number (NIN) in two weeks.

It would be recalled that NCC on Tuesday instructed telecommunications operators in the country – MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9Mobile – to block all cards that are not registered with NIN in 14 days.

Read Also: NCC Gives MTN, Airtel, Others Two Weeks To Block SIM Cards Without NIN

The commission made the decision at a meeting between the minister of communication and digital economy and stakeholders in the communication industry on Monday.

NCC in statement stated;

Operators to require ALL their subscribers to provide valid National Identification Number (NIN) to update SIM registration records.

The submission of NIN by subscribers to take place within two weeks (from today December 16, 2020 and end by 30 December, 2020). After the deadline, ALL SIMs without NINs are to be blocked from the networks.

It added that a violation of the directive will be met by stiff sanctions, including the possibility of withdrawal of operating license of the telecommunications operators.

The new directive has however been met with criticism as many Nigerians on Twitter express that the two-week deadline is not feasible as several residents of the country don’t have National Identification card, which contains the NIN.

Others opined that there are important documents such as International passport andBank Verification Number (BVN) that can be used as a unifying database for Nigerians.

Many recalled how Central Bank of Nigerian few years ago ordered Nigerians to acquire BVN and link it to bank accounts and how long it took before few Nigerians obeyed.

See some reactions from Twitter users below;

I doubt up to 1% of Nigerians have the national ID card because of how cumbersome it is to obtain.
So this large % who don’t already have it are to get it under 2weeks, then merge the NIN numbers with SIM card numbers in 2weeks? Lmhoooooo 😂🤡

— Moji Sensei Delano (@MojiDelanoBlog) December 15, 2020

You’ll do BVN. You’ll do NIN. You’ll do passport. Then one day one Oga somewhere will wake up and mandate another thing, for no reason.

— Jola (@Jollz) December 15, 2020

School me if I’m wrong. There’s actually a way to integrate/sync the existing NCC data to NIMC without making life hell for Nigerians ‍♂️

Users with unverified details from both data points can receive message from their Telco providers for proper documentation.

— ✪ (@PiousGeek) December 16, 2020

They better make such update to be ọnline so that they won’t come up with another bottle neck policy for subscribers to go and spend whole day just to update the NIN

— OGUNDELE Idowu (@iaogundele) December 15, 2020

How many Nigerians have been able to register for NIN? No enough centre to register and they are not doing anything about it.

— ILESANMI DAVID (@iteebee) December 15, 2020

They will suffer for it cos d population of those whose get NIN is lesser than those that didn’t get. When they will be giving we that get free calling

— Omega (@Omega0803) December 15, 2020

Two weeks during a festive period to block Sims without National ID. Lol fuck all these folks

— Imoh (@ImohUmoren) December 15, 2020

My fingerprints were taken when I got my National ID Number, my driver’s licence, my BVN and when I was registering my SIM card.

Yet I still need to go in person to link these things? I hate this country.🤦‍♂️

— Marvin the Paranoid Android (@Boboye_Ak) December 15, 2020

The Nigerian Government have a very stinking tactics. You see this Sims and National ID shit during COVID-19 is to shift everyones attention from the insecurity in the North + loan they borrowed to embezzle.😂

Yahoo Yahoo NIMC government.

— KẹlẹChi🦹🏾‍♀️ 勇敢_珍贵™ (@PluckyPrecious) December 16, 2020

The government is always good at bringing up new ideas on how to thief from us…this one don pass yahoo boy level 🤦‍♂️

— SHYKID🦅 (@shykidoj) December 16, 2020

Me waiting for my National ID card for 5 years#NIMC#NationalID pic.twitter.com/NDjHHb5V9N

— Bettina (@Kayz_Kollection) December 16, 2020

Driver’s licence – whosai
International passport – baabu
BVN – for where
National ID card – nayheee
Its now NIN one needs to get a sim.
These people are not going to be satisfied till they bleed us dry and make this hell fiery fiery 🔥 hot for us.
Issokay🚶‍♀️🚶‍♀️😑😑

— Kate Henshaw (@HenshawKate) December 16, 2020

Whats the difference between NIN and all the other forms of identification? Ffs they collect same details and do not cover everyone too😡😡😡

— Mavis Money (@mavismoney1) December 16, 2020

Somebody somewhere is planning something on this NIN thing, all of a sudden there is interest in NIN, recall that students writing jamb were told this year that they cannot register without NIN, na here we gather dey, this mess go smell well well.

— Nabena Irowari Samuel (@NabenaSamuel) December 16, 2020

Anything that makes citizens uncomfortable and capable of causing hardship is what they take pleasure in.
SMH.

— (@RealFage) December 16, 2020

Most nigerians who have applied for national ID are yet to get it

For you to get your NIN you use USSD on your network

Each USSD costs ₦20

If 50 million Nigerians use the USSD to check their NIN that is ₦1b

If more, then more money#NowYouKnow

— Mazi Íkéchukwu Mámàh (@aikmamah) December 16, 2020

This govt is also showing us that the only way to make themselves happy is to stress and fraud its own people because dailing *346# to check if your sim is linked to NIN will cost #20 and over 150million Nigerians will dail that to check which I just did

— North Wind ️ (@Moe_thegreatt) December 16, 2020

I did National ID registration in Abuja since 2017 and I’m still waiting for email. Someone was telling me to pay 15k to get my ID in less than 2days in this Giant of African country.

— YOUTUBE: Wittyglam (@umohbeauty633) December 16, 2020

Two weeks during a festive period to block SIM cards without National ID? You all are jokers

— Dayo Oseni (@OseniAdedayo) December 16, 2020

This National ID does not have an expiry date yet it was discarded and a new one was introduced. I have a strong feeling the voter card will share the same fate in the future.

Nigerians have BVN, Drivers license, int’l passport, voters card and every sim must be registered. pic.twitter.com/4SqdpXBXGs

— Caleb Senda | Naija OAP (@Cleancaleb) December 16, 2020

When I was registering for National ID, I was neither aware nor told to impute the number of my two sims. Now, the NIN wants all citizens to update their data with all their existing numbers with the excuse of “it will promote & enable easy tracking of criminals”. What about BVN?

— Duke of Africa (@Allezamani) December 16, 2020

NCC to block all Sims cards not linked with National ID NIN.

Over 100M+ users will be obligated to dial *346# to check if their SIM is linked with NIN, which costs N20. This should be free but the government always find ways to steal from her citizens.

Shameless bastards

— (@Irigo__) December 16, 2020

“We use a Local Govt Identity certificate to register for International Passport, then use Int’l Passport to register for Driver’s License, then use Driver’s License to register for NIN, then use NIN to register SIMS.”

Nigerian Government enjoys making their Citizens suffer.

— DANNY WALTER 👑 (@DannyWalta) December 16, 2020

The Govt just love to frustrate its citizens. You did not even look for any other day but few days to Christmas to pick on the most misplaced priority on the list. Registering SIMS with NIN 🤦🏾‍♂️ .. can’t you just let us breathe

Fuel
Power
Etc

Una must find something sha

— Do2dtun Energy gAD (@iamDo2dtun) December 16, 2020

So if you buy 5 sims you go come go dey fine NIN office to register the 5 sims. that their office wey u go bribe cleaner to enter! The same Nation ID wey no get use

Nigeria which way now! Suffer no dey taya una! Not one single policy has favoured the citizens!

— 🇳🇬WOLEXZ TRICKS 💯♛ (@wolexz_tricks) December 16, 2020