Nigeria’s Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have deactivated more than 40 million telecoms consumers’ phone lines for failing to link their Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) Cards with National Identification Numbers (NINs) by the February 28, 2024 deadline, as stated.

The telecoms operators complied with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) directive over the weekend after the deadline elapsed, impacting subscribers’ phone lines. Nigeria currently has about 224.7 million active mobile phone lines, as per NCC records.

The NCC notice issued in December 2023 instructed MNOs to deactivate SIMs not linked to NINs by February 28, with subsequent actions against unverified NINs by March 29, and SIMs with less than five lines linked to an unverified NIN by April 15, 2024.

The Federal Government introduced the SIM-NIN synchronization initiative on December 16, 2020, aiming to enhance security measures by enabling authorities to track criminals in Nigeria’s telecommunications network amid rising insecurity concerns.