Telecom
Consumers Ask FG Stop Issuing of Deadlines for SIM-NIN Linkage
National Association of Telecoms Subscribers (NATCOMS), the umbrella body of telecoms subscribers in Nigeria has asked the federal government to suspend for the National Identification Number- issuing of deadlines Subscriber Identity Module data verification exercise and adopt a continuous registration model.
Adeolu Ogunbanjo, president, NATCOMS
Adeolu Ogunbanjo, president of the association, disclosed this in an interview with Punch at the weekend
This, according to the industry pressure body, will help the government to accommodate the National Identity Management Commission’s lack of capacity to host the data of telecommunication subscribers.
Ogunbanjo, said that a continuous registration process will cover the various hiccups experienced by the exercise.
He said, “Unfortunately, there are so many hiccups with the SIM-NIN linkage. The NIMC lacks the capacity to do the uploads after the registration.
“I will now tell the government to let the linkage continue just like the SIM. Let them remove the deadlines, for now. Let it be a continuous one. If they don’t do that, they will make people abandon their SIMs, and make the network operators lose a lot of income on these unused SIMs.
“So, these will even get slower. Let the minister postpone the deadline until December 2022 for now. They should give us a nine-month window to ensure that NIMC puts its house in order.
“Maybe they would have capacity then. Many of the NIMC centres do not register more than 10 new subscribers in a day. And there are so many subscribers seeking to do so. Also, for about two, three weeks, it was off. So, I think the capacity should be built upon, and then let’s look at the end of the year.”
According to a source in one of the telecommunication companies in the nation, progress has not been made as regards the SIM-NIN exercise.
The source said the NIMC does not have the required infrastructure to facilitate the exercise, seamlessly.
The source said, “We disclosed in our last report that not much has happened as regards the SIM-NIN linkage because of the challenges that are still very much in place.
“Essentially, the fault is from the NIMC. The NIMC doesn’t have the infrastructure to support this exercise. Nothing has changed. The government is definitely going to extend the deadline. The agency will keep postponing the deadline to buy time.”
A source in the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria confirmed to our correspondent that while the NIMC’s servers had been fixed, it was still been experiencing frequent downtime.
This, he said, was impacting the pace of the verification exercise as telcos had to wait for hours before gaining access to the portal.
Lynda Saint-Nwafor, chief Enterprise business officer, MTN Nigeria, has assured the network subscribers that the new end-user billing system for the use of USSD services will jot affect them.
USSD, otherwise Unstructured Supplementary Service Data codes are commonly used for banking transactions, airtime recharges, and other mobile services.
The telco said that there is no significant impact or change other than the fact that they will now pay the same N6.98 per session (120 seconds) with their airtime instead of direct bank debit.
Saint-Nwafor, said this during a chat with MTN MIP fellows, explaining that the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) have ordered telecom operators to ensure that the new billing model resolves trust issues and ensures transparency in the billing process.
“Our regulator insisted that at the end of every month, we are going to be providing history and statistics on the performance of the service across the board”, she explained.
Saint-Nwafor added that the new billing model has standardized messaging across all operators and ensures consistent communication with customers.
“We will take all the error codes and map them into messages that are standardised across the board. So, if you initiate a transaction, you will know if it is failing. And, when the transaction fails, you will know if it is from your bank or the telco,” she explained.
The U.S. government has recovered $225 million in what is now the largest seizure of funds linked to a cryptocurrency investment scam.
In a statement released Wednesday, June 18, the U.S. Attorney’s Office said the recovery followed an extensive investigation by the FBI and the U.S. Secret Service, using blockchain analysis and other forensic tools. The statement did not confirm whether any arrests had been made.
According to the authorities, the stolen funds originated from fraudulent cryptocurrency investment schemes that tricked victims into believing they were making legitimate investments. More than 400 individuals around the world, including dozens in the United States, were reportedly affected.
The operation involved a sophisticated money laundering network that carried out hundreds of thousands of blockchain transactions to obscure the source and ownership of the stolen assets.
“These scams prey on trust, often resulting in extreme financial hardship for the victims,” said Shawn Bradstreet, Special Agent in Charge at the U.S. Secret Service office in San Francisco.
Bradstreet added that U.S. officials hope the recovered funds can eventually be returned to the rightful victims.
Cryptocurrency investment fraud accounted for over $5.8 billion in reported losses in 2024 alone, according to the statement.
In a rousing declaration that is electrifying minds across the continent, Hon. Nnaemeka Ani, Special Adviser on ICT to Enugu State Governor, Dr. Peter Mbah, has called for a homegrown digital revolution under the banner “Africa Will Rise: By Code, By Courage, By Us.”
Hon. Nnaemeka Ani
The message, part challenge, part philosophical—seeks to galvanize African innovators to move beyond buzzwords and build technology with impact and legacy in mind.
“Let’s stop building for hype. Let’s start building for legacy,” Ani urged while speaking to ICT journalists over the weekend. “Let’s stop waiting for someone else. Let’s start creating the future—on our own terms.”
At the heart of Ani’s vision is a shift from tech consumerism to tech authorship. With innovation hubs sprouting across cities like Enugu, Lagos, Kigali, Jo’Burg, and Nairobi, and a growing community of developers, engineers, and entrepreneurs determined to solve Africa’s unique challenges, the movement is already taking shape.
Ani emphasized that Africa’s future lies not in flashy apps or international admiration but in persistent, intentional solutions that uplift communities—solutions that digitize public services, bridge rural-urban divides, empower women and youth, and build resilience in food and climate systems.
“We have the talent,” he said. “Now it’s time to harness it—to stop building for likes and start building for lasting impact.”
With support from leaders like Ani and rising momentum in Africa’s tech corridors, it seems that a new chapter is being written—one line of code at a time.
MTN Says New N6.98 USSD Charge Won’t Affect Airtime Recharge
Sofri Rejigs Digital Platforms for Better Customer Experience
DLM Group Unveils Innovative Sovereign Bond Backed Composite Notes
Study Reveals 7% of Industrial Organizations Tackle Vulnerabilities Only When Necessary
NITDA, NCFRMI Forge Strategic Alliance for Inclusive Digital Transformation of Displaced Nigerians
General News3 days agoNASRDA, Galaxy Space Firm Sign MoU on Satellite Connectivity
Telecom3 days agoOver 1m Nigerians Reached through MTN Staff’s Digital and Community Outreach
Telecom3 days agoMafab Gets 0724 Number Series, Launches Mcom 5G Brand
News3 days agoDBN Awards N13m in Grants to Tech Startups
Telecom3 days agoNCC to Name, Shame Telecom Infrastructure Vandals
News3 days agoFCCPC Shuts France, Belgium, and Italy Visa Centres in Abuja Over Alleged Consumer Rights Violations
Telecom3 days agoWSIS Review: Nigerian ICT Leaders Urged to Shape Global Digital Future
E-Financial3 days agoBank Customers Petition CBN over Illegal Deductions, Demand Action