BEVERLY HILLS, March 08, (THEWILL) – In this piece, ANTHONY OKECHUKWU examines the different levels of difficulties network subscribers face in order to retrieve their sim cards.
Since the Federal Government approved new modalities for SIM replacement, subscribers who want to replace their SIM cards for any reason pass through a lot of harrowing experiences.
It becomes even more difficult since these subscribers are now expected to present their National Identification Numbers (NIN) and other requirements. Although many Nigerians are yet to get their NIN, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has instructed that subscribers must present their NIN for their SIM cards to be replaced. An earlier date had been fixed as the deadline for the NIN linkage but was later extended till February this year.
Despite the extension of the deadline for NIN and SIM harmonisation by the Federal Government till next month, the process is still rowdy in some states of the federation.
In Lagos State, for instance, THEWILL gathered that many residents still leave their homes early in the morning to queue at offices of network providers such as MTN, GLO, Airtel and 9mobile.
The situation is not different in other states where subscribers spend hours at network centres in a bid to do SIM replacement.
Recounting her experience, Mrs Blessing Ada said her phone was robbed at gunpoint last December and that since then, she has not been able to retrieve her SIM.
According to Blessing, she has been visiting all the MTN offices at Ikeja day and night, all to no avail.
She said: “I leave home every day in the morning only to come here and sit in the sun from morning to night. When you come, they will give you hope but at the end of the day, they will tell you that there is no network. I have been at the MTN Allen office for one full week now and there is no luck.”
Rose Uche has a similar story as she has been visiting both Glo office and MTN office located at Allen Avenue area of Ikeja regularly without success. Rose who sells interior decoration materials on Instagram said her business is in danger since she could not retrieve the MTN line that she was using to do her sales business.
Another Glo subscriber, Joseph Omosodu, who spoke with THEWILL said his inability to get a SIM replacement is affecting his business. He appealed to the government to do something so as to make it easier for subscribers to get their sims back.
“The idea of coming here every day does not make any sense. The government should do something so that subscribers can get their SIMs easily, “ Joseph appealed.
Chief Adewale Oladosu, another subscriber, told THEWILL that “I don’t want to be involved in that endless waiting in the sun; that is why I left my home at 5am to be at this MTN’s office at Ikeja. Even as early as I am, my number is now 99. You can imagine that. “
When THEWILL visited network centres to ascertain the level of progress subscribers make regarding their SIM replacements, it was discovered that little or no progress has been made on the part of network providers.
At Glo office in Ikeja, SIMs are not easily replaced even when subscribers are attended to almost every minute of the day. Subscribers who approached the Ikeja office were told to wait till the government gave them “go ahead” to start registering people. Some subscribers were equally asked to drop their phone lines so that they could be contacted when the government gives them the “go ahead” .
The story is, however, different with Airtel subscribers who walk into the Airtel office at Ikeja and get attended to. THEWILL can report that most Airtel subscribers at different network centres got their SIMs replaced in a well-organised manner.
A subscriber, Millicent Amoka, who spoke to THEWILL, pointed out that if care is not taken, Airtel may take over a large chunk of MTN and GLO customers with the ease with which they are attending to their customers in terms of SIMs replacement.
“Here at MTN and GLO, they will tell us no network and you will sit from morning till night without a solution. But just visit Airtel, they will attend to you and solve your problems. If care is not taken, they will carry MTN and GLO customers,” Amoka said.
While the Opebi office of MTN is making efforts and doing everything possible to attend and retrieve their customers SIM cards, the Allen Avenue MTN office has remained idle in the past two weeks. Since March 1st this year, subscribers wake up early in the morning, only to visit the office and wait endlessly for network to come up.
A security officer who spoke with THEWILL however exonerated MTN from the difficulties subscribers are facing.The security personnel, who simply identified himself as John, said:”You can see. It is not MTN’s fault. We are trying our best but you will not understand. The problem is with NIN. I mean linking the line with subscribers NIN. So it is not our fault.
“You also have to understand that prior to this new policy, subscribers who want to replace their SIM were among other things expected to provide valid photo identification, SIM Pack or other evidence of direct ownership of SIM/Affidavit, etc. But following the recent directive by the FG, the NIN is now incorporated as part of the statutory requirements, among others. That makes it a bit difficult and cumbersome.”
Meanwhile, the Federal Government has given approval to Mobile Network Operators, MNOs, for the establishment of dedicated SIM Swap Centres across the Local Government Areas (LGAs) in Nigeria
It has also approved the extension of the tenure of NIN enrolment agent licenses for MNOs from one to five years in consideration of their satisfactory performance, subject to continuous monitoring.
The approval was confirmed by the Ministerial Task Force on the NIN-SIM registration after its 4th Review Meeting held in Abuja recently.
According to the Minister, Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, the approval was a deliberate effort of the Federal Government to simplify the enrolment process for Nigerians and legal residents.
He said the Technical Committee was mandated to complete the development of a new SIM issuance strategy that cannot be compromised.
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