Millions of Nigerians are currently unable to activate new SIM cards, swap, or replace existing ones due to a technical glitch caused by telcos migrating to a new identity verification system mandated by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) confirmed that all mobile network operators (MNOs) nationwide are affected by this disruption. The problem stems from the switch to NIMC’s new platform designed to improve the security and efficiency of identity verification linked to SIM registration and related services.
However, unforeseen technical issues have halted real-time verification processes, making it impossible for telcos to process SIM-related requests such as swaps, replacements, and new activations.
ALTON urged subscribers to avoid visiting service centers for SIM transactions until the problem is fixed.The association is working closely with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), NIMC, and other authorities to resolve the integration challenges as quickly as possible. ALTON also apologized for the inconvenience and promised to keep the public updated on progress.
This disruption comes after Nigeria completed the mandatory linking of all SIM cards to the National Identification Number (NIN), a policy aimed at strengthening identity verification and reducing fraud in telecom services.
