Lawyers as well as Small and Medium-sized Enterprises have voiced concerns that disconnecting telephone lines not linked to National Identification Numbers will exacerbate the economic challenges currently facing Nigerians.
Telcos are expected to bar unlinked phone lines on Friday (today), following the Nigerian Communications Commission’s directive.
The disconnection process was rolled out in stages, with the second phase scheduled for March 29, 2024, following the initial phase that occurred on February 28, 2024. The third phase is slated to commence on April 15, 2024, as previously announced.
An executive at the Nigerian Bar Association, Ikeja Branch, Florence Horace, said the decision by the NCC was harsh as the initiative has yet to solve the problem of insecurity.
Horace expressed concerns that the initiative, aimed at enhancing security through the linkage of phone numbers to individuals’ national identity, has yet to demonstrate its efficacy in combating rising cases of scams and insecurity.
The lawyer emphasised the need to alleviate the inconvenience faced by Nigerians, such as long queues at registration centres, which deter many from completing the process.
She argued that assessing the project’s effectiveness should involve consultation with individuals from diverse socioeconomic backgrounds, not just relying on compliance metrics.
The executive stated, “Daily, Nigerians are being scammed of their hard-earned money, and these people can’t trace them or even know their location. So, what is the benefit? For people who have done it, they just did it for compliance.
“My house help came from the North, and her line is barred because she didn’t link it to NIN. This is someone who came from the North. So, there is a possibility that people who are supposed to get the message are not getting it.
“They need to extend it, and giving it till the end of the year will not be a bad idea. It’s not just about the extension. There has to be a way to make this thing easy for Nigerians. There should be a code someone can dial to make the phone line link with NIN. It doesn’t have to be difficult.
“When people go to different centres to do the link, they see the long queue, and they go back to their houses. The next day, they are there again, and it’s still the same issue. Why won’t they get tired?” Horace noted.
Horace concluded that simplifying the NIN-SIM linkage process is essential to ensure widespread compliance and effectiveness in addressing security concerns, as current challenges risk undermining the initiative’s objectives.
The Nigerian Association of Small and Medium Enterprises South-West Region Vice President, Solomon Aderoju, told The PUNCH that disconnecting lines might affect businesses that depend on connectivity.
“For individuals like me who conduct online training, a malfunctioning wifi connection means being unable to connect with participants. Recently, I had a three-day online program scheduled before arriving in Nasarawa, so having a reliable wifi connection was crucial.
“Online meetings offer cost savings. For instance, in the next 30 minutes, I have another online meeting scheduled, and without a stable internet connection, it simply won’t be feasible,” he stated.
He advised the NCC and telcos to allocate more time to enable Nigerians to link their phone lines to the NIN.
“We like to rush here, especially at the eleventh hour, even though the intentions may be good. There has to be more time allocated to it if not many people will be disconnected,” Aderoju said.
Registration glitches
On Wednesday, telecom subscribers expressed frustration over telecom agents’ inability to capture necessary information for verification and upload data to the National Identity Management Commission server.
The President of NATCOMS, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, told The PUNCH that the NCC needed to order telcos not to disconnect telephone lines, considering the ongoing difficulties faced by subscribers.
The telecom regulator had insisted that there would be no changes to the deadline for the next phase of disconnection.
