By Babajide Okeowo
Subscribers whose service has been cut off because of the loss or damage of their Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) card and have not been able to retrieve their SIM because of the directive by the Nigerian Communication Commission, NCC can now heave a sigh of relief as they can now retrieve their SIM once they have their National Identification Numbers, NIN.
The affected subscribers can now replace their lost or damaged SIM at any of the customer centres of the Telecommunications Company across the country.
This was disclosed on Wednesday in a statement by The Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria, ALTON titled ‘ALTON’s Update on SIM Registration and NIN Integration’ signed by ALTON Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo and Publicity Secretary, Damian Udeh.
“We empathise with people who have been unable to reactivate their phone lines as a result of the suspension.
Further to engagements with government on the matter, we are pleased to report that our members have been granted permission to carry out SIM replacement upon verification of the customer’s NIN” the statement said.
ALTON assured the public that their members were working with the National Identity Management Commission to ensure seamless system connectivity for verification of NINs.
Recall that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami, had instructed the telecoms industry regulator, Nigerian Communications Commission, to stop the sale of new SIM cards and reactivation of lost/damaged SIM cards in Nigeria pending an audit of the SIM registration database.
Subscribers with lost or damaged SIM cards had been complaining of the challenges they had been experiencing difficulties to get SIM swaps.
