Telcos Blame NIMC Migration for SIM Service Disruptions, Apologize to Subscribers

The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has addressed the recent disruptions in SIM-related services across the country, attributing the issue to a mandatory migration exercise to a new identity verification platform overseen by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC). In a public statement, ALTON apologized to all subscribers who experienced difficulties and assured them that the situation is being resolved.

According to the statement signed by ALTON’s Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, and Publicity Secretary, Damian Udeh, the disruption affected services such as SIM registration, SIM swaps, replacements, and new activations. These interruptions, they noted, were not due to negligence but stemmed from technical complications encountered during the system transition.

The new platform, mandated by NIMC, is intended to bolster the integrity and effectiveness of Nigeria’s identity management systems. However, the process of switching from the old verification system to the new one introduced several unforeseen technical challenges that hindered real-time identity verification services.

As a result, mobile network operators (MNOs) have been unable to fully support critical operations tied to identity verification, such as Mobile Number Portability (MNP) and other SIM-related transactions. This has led to a nationwide pause on several essential telecom services.

ALTON emphasized its commitment to restoring normalcy and stated that operators are actively working with NIMC to address the technical setbacks. While the migration aims to improve long-term service delivery and data security, the association acknowledged the short-term inconvenience and asked for public understanding and patience during the resolution period.

Source: This day