Major telecom operators in Nigeria have temporarily suspended certain SIM services nationwide as the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) carries out a crucial upgrade of its identity verification platform.
Affected services include new SIM activations, SIM swaps, SIM replacements, and number portability. The suspension took effect this week and applies to all mobile network operators, following an industry-wide directive to support the NIMC’s system migration.
The NIMC says the temporary halt is necessary to strengthen the integrity of Nigeria’s digital identity system and to streamline the integration between national identity numbers (NINs) and telecom subscribers’ SIM registration data.
The upgrade is part of broader efforts to curb identity fraud, SIM-related financial crimes, and the misuse of multiple unverified SIM cards that often complicate criminal investigations.
While no firm timeline has been given for when full services will resume, telecom operators have assured subscribers that normal voice, data, and SMS services remain unaffected.
Customers are being urged to stay patient as the upgrade is expected to deliver more secure, reliable identity verification processes once completed.
Consumer protection groups have called on operators and the NIMC to communicate clear updates, especially for customers in rural areas who often rely heavily on agent-assisted SIM services.
