The Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) in a statement released on the 28th July 2024 has refuted multiple online reports suggesting that the ongoing subscriber line barring exercise by telcos, is linked to the planned national protest.
ALTON, in its statement signed by the associations’ Chairman and Executive Secretary, clarified that the subscriber line barring exercise is in line with the National Identity Number (NIN) and SIM card registration linkage deadline, which was set for July 31, 2024. The association emphasized that this process has been ongoing for several months to enhance the integrity of the National SIM registration database.
“The harmonization exercise of the SIM Registration database and National Identity Database has been ongoing for several months. This is aimed at improving the integrity of the National SIM registration database. Customers who had their lines blocked recently are those whose service providers found a mismatch between their records on both databases” said Engr. Gbenga Adebayo, ALTON Chairman, in the statement.
ALTON has provided guidelines for users to unblock their lines without needing to visit their service providers in person.
Here are the step-by-step instructions for unblocking SIM cards for various Telecom Operators:
- Airtel: Dial *121# and input your eleven-digit NIN number. A confirmation message will be sent indicating that the SIM card has been successfully unbarred.
- 9Mobile: Dial *200*8#.
- Glo: Dial *109* Your NIN number#. For example, if your NIN is 12345678901, dial *109*12345678901# and follow the prompts.
- MTN: Visit nin.mtn.ng to check the NIN status and link it if necessary. An OTP and the NIN will be required to complete the process.
- Smile: Send your valid NIN to [email protected] or call 07020444444. Consent will be required, and upon successful verification of the NIN, the line will be unbarred.
- Spectranet: Call toll-free line 8002345678, email [email protected], or visit the Spectranet website to submit your NIN. KYC completion at a Spectranet store is necessary to finalize the process.
- Ntel: Visit any Ntel store with your NIN. Fingerprint verification will be used to call up your existing KYC profile, after which the line will be updated and unbarred.
Subscribers who encounter difficulties with these online steps can physically visit any walk-in centers of their operators to unblock their lines.
ALTON reiterated its commitment to supporting the Nigerian government and upholding citizens’ rights.
“As an industry, we respect and commit to protecting the rights of all people to communicate, to share information freely and responsibly, and to enjoy privacy and security regarding their data and their use of digital communications,” the statement read.