Nigeria’s telecom operators have temporarily suspended SIM-related services, including new registrations, SIM swaps, National Identification Number registration (NIN), and mobile number portability, after the National Identity Management Commission’s (NIMC) migration to a new identity verification platform.
The disruption, confirmed by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), has left millions unable to access essential mobile services. NIMC is moving to a new platform built and managed by the commission. BlueSalt Financial Services, a Nigerian fintech company, will be responsible for migrating the telecom operators to the new NIMC platform. While officials say the system will enhance the speed and accuracy of identity verification in the long term, the immediate fallout threatens to delay digital inclusion and SIM compliance targets crucial to telecom coverage and financial access.
ALTON, which represents Nigeria’s mobile operators, advised subscribers to postpone all SIM-related transactions until further notice. “We understand the inconvenience this may cause to millions of subscribers who depend on these services for communication, business, and daily activities,” the statement read. “We sincerely apologise for the disruption.”
NIMC, which has registered over 120 million Nigerians to date, is targeting 100 million more enrollees by year-end to meet its 95% national coverage target. To stay on track, authorities are under pressure to complete the migration and restore service functionality quickly.
In an X post on July 2, NIMC said it had completed “recent technical maintenance” and that “all services have been restored,” including links to visit for NIN enrolment, data modification, and authentication.
Editor’s Note: This article was updated to include NIMC’s statement stating that it had restored its services, including NIN registration and authentication, and the role of BlueSalt Financial Services.
Mark your calendars! Moonshot by TechCabal is back in Lagos on October 15–16! Join Africa’s top founders, creatives & tech leaders for 2 days of keynotes, mixers & future-forward ideas. Early bird tickets now 20% off—don’t snooze! moonshot.techcabal.com
