Telecoms giant, MTN, has shut all its stores and service centres across Nigeria.
This was disclosed terse statement on X (formerly Twitter), on Tuesday, July 30, 2024.
MTN said: “Yello customer, please be informed that our shops nationwide will be closed today, 30th July 2024.”
MTN, however, directed its customers to use their “digital channels” for support.
While it did not indicate the reason for the closure, the move came barely 24 hours after aggrieved customers vandalised MTN’s office in the Festac area of Lagos on Monday.
The aggrieved customers whose lines were disconnected for defaulting in the NIN-SIM linkage policy had stormed the office. But in viral videos spotted by Channels Television, they were seen pulling the office’s fence.
The clip showed a large crowd of angry subscribers vandalising the telecommunications company’s office in the FESTAC Town area of Lagos State in response to the network blocking subscribers due to a mismatch in their National Identification Number and SIM registration.
“This should not be the way to go!
Meanwhile, the telecom regulator, the Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, has directed all operators to urgently reactivate all lines that were disconnected since the weekend in view of the short time available for consumers to undertake the verification of their National Identification Numbers, NINs with their Subscriber Identity Module, SIMs.
The commission said the reactivated consumers are to note that this is for a limited period to allow them to properly link their NIN to their SIM.
NCC said: “At the weekend many subscribers/consumers were unable to access their phone lines because of the inability of many telecom consumers to verify their National Identification Numbers (NINs) with their Subscriber Identification Modules (SIMs). This meant that their numbers were blocked by their telecom service providers in keeping with laws and policies of the NIN-SIM linkage.
“Telecoms consumers and the public will recall the compulsory linkage of NIN with SIM which began in December 2020 when the government directed telecommunication companies to bar unregistered SIM cards and SIMs that were not linked to NIN.
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“Since December 2023, the Commission has reviewed the deadline a few times; April 15, 2024 was set as the deadline for the full network barring of subscribers with four or fewer SIMs that had unverified NIN details. This deadline was then reviewed to July 31, 2024, to give consumers more time to ensure their submitted NIN details are properly verified. Despite these extensions, many phone lines are yet to be linked with verified NINs.
“The objectives of this exercise by the Federal Government of Nigeria include enhancing national security and ensuring the national SIM ownership database is accurate.
The NIN-SIM linkage policy aids in verifying and protecting users’ identities while also providing a critical infrastructure that assures access to the benefits of a robust digital economy for the citizenry.
“The consumer is our priority; therefore, considering the challenges the blockages have caused, the Commission has directed all operators to reactivate all lines that were disconnected over the weekend in view of the short time available for consumers to undertake the verification of their NINs with their SIMs. Reactivated consumers are to note that this is for a limited period to allow them to properly link their NIN to their SIM.
“Members of the public who are yet to verify their SIMs are encouraged to do so as soon as possible to maintain access to their lines,” the commission added.
