The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has announced the successful completion of the Nigerian government’s initiative to link all phone numbers in the country to a National Identification Number (NIN).
The statement was made by Aminu Maida, the NCC’s Executive Vice-Chairman (EVC), during the 2024 Annual Corporate Governance Conference in Lagos on Thursday.
Highlighting the importance of the NIN-SIM linkage initiative, Maida acknowledged the difficulties Nigerians faced during the process.
“We have recently concluded the implementation of the federal government’s 2020 policy requiring all phone numbers to be linked with a NIN,” Maida stated.
“Though it was a challenging experience for many Nigerians, it’s essential to recognise the benefits. Today, every phone number is linked to a verified NIN, enhancing accountability.”
Maida emphasised that, while some may question the authenticity of the linked identities, the initiative is a crucial step forward in ensuring transparency.
“If a phone number is involved in fraud or criminal activity, we can now confidently identify the user based on the linked NIN,” he added.
The NIN-SIM linkage policy was launched in December 2020 following a directive from the Nigerian government for telecom companies to block unregistered SIM cards and those not linked to NINs. Despite several deadline extensions to allow compliance, the NCC finalised the exercise after setting September 14, 2024, as the last deadline.
Maida further revealed that the NCC is collaborating with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to establish a robust framework to combat fraud linked to mobile financial transactions. He noted that mobile channels, including mobile apps and USSD codes, are now the primary means for banking transactions, but acknowledged the need for stronger enforcement mechanisms when fraud occurs.
“There is still much to be done,” Maida said. “Currently, there aren’t strong consequences for fraud committed using phone numbers, but we are working to address these issues.”