MTN Shuts Offices Nationwide Following SIM-NIN Outrage

By Abubakar Yunusa

MTN Nigeria has shut its offices across the federation following the outrage that occurred on Monday after the telco blocked customers’ lines in accordance with a directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).
The NCC had ordered telcos to block lines that had not been linked with National Identification Numbers (NINs).
At the end of 2023, the regulator instructed telcos to disconnect lines that had not been successfully linked with NINs in three phases, with a deadline of July 31, 2024.
According to the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), the umbrella body for all telcos, customers whose lines were blocked had mismatches between their records on both databases (i.e., SIM and NIN).
On Monday, the affected subscribers stormed MTN stores nationwide, creating long queues. The queue at the MTN store on Bode Thomas in Lagos spilled onto the sidewalks and beyond the street curb.
MTN’s store on Allen Avenue, Lagos, was jam-packed. Customers at the MTN store in Berger, Lagos, threatened to break into the store due to lack of service. An MTN store in FESTAC was vandalized.
The NCC had to instruct telcos to reactivate barred lines because of the chaos. On Tuesday, MTN announced on X, “Y’ello customer, please be informed that our shops nationwide will be closed today, July 30th. We are available 24/7 to support you via our digital channels: myMTN NG App, Zigi Chatbot (0903300001), and IVR (dial 300).”
Since Monday, telcos have released a guide for subscribers on how to unblock their lines without visiting their stores.
Despite instructing telcos to unblock subscribers’ lines, the NCC advised, “Members of the public who have yet to verify their SIMs are encouraged to do so as soon as possible to maintain access to their lines.”