Business

SIM-NIN: 22 Days After Ban, Telcos Lose N76bn, Subscribers Stranded

Published

4 years ago

April 27, 2022

Telecommunication companies have lost about N75.78bn as subscribers struggle to link their National Identification Number to the Subscriber Identity Module, about 22 days after the Federal Government directed telecom companies to bar defaulting consumers from making outgoing calls.

On April 4, the Federal Government directed telcos to restrict outgoing calls on all lines that had not linked their SIMs to NINs after the deadline for the verification exercise expired on March 31.

As a result, about 72.77 million active telecom subscribers were barred from making calls on their SIMs. Voice revenue is a major source of revenue for telecom companies. In 2021, MTN made N819.74bn from voice revenue, while Airtel made N397.91bn from voice.

According to the Association of Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria, the industry Average Revenue Per User was N1,420 in 2020. This translates to about N1,041.33 per subscriber in 22 days.

According to the statement announcing the directive, subscribers whose lines are restricted can have them unrestricted once they link their SIMs to their NINs.

Meanwhile, sources in the telecom industry have said the process has not been seamless and that it is also impacting telcos’ revenue stream.

A source in the Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria said the verification exercise had become a major challenge for the operators and the Nigeria Identity Management Commission.

The source said, “This ban is significantly impacting on the revenue stream of telcos. If almost half of your subscribers are cut down, that is, they cannot make calls; of course, this will impact revenue.

“From the telcos’ side, we have no challenge. The challenge is with the Nigeria Identity Management Commission, with verification.

“They have a lot of subscribers who want to verify their NINs. And without these verifications, we can’t activate these numbers. A lot of people have tried to link but because they have not been verified, they are still blocked. There are still certain numbers of verifications that can be done per day, and this is technology.

“So in-between those periods there may be downtime, issue of non-access, and more. I cannot tell you offhand how many verifications we can do per day. The major challenge we have now is that of people trying to unblock their numbers. There is a surge, and sometimes they are overwhelmed. That is what is happening presently, but all the stakeholders are trying to do their best.”

A high-ranking source in one of the telecom companies said there was nothing the companies could do as they needed NIMC to give a go-ahead before they could unblock numbers.

The source said, “A lot of the issues we have are from the NIMC end. There is nothing anyone can do. If this problem is from the backend, it means every network subscriber is likely to be facing this challenge.

“One thing is for operators to regularise from their side. Another thing is for the NIMC to do their part. Sometimes it gets to them, and they have downtime and maybe server issues.”

According to the source, when subscribers submit their NIN for verification, it gets sent to the NIMC, which has to send feedback before the numbers can be unbarred. The source added, “So, after telcos accept the numbers and verify, we need to wait for feedback from the NIMC, this is where there is a problem.”

The President of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers, Adeolu Ogunbanjo, stated that the capacity for NIMC to accept uploads was not particularly adequate. He added that congestion in the past couple of days had aggravated the situation.

He said, “Subscribers are trying to link their lines, but they are still being barred. The capacity of the NIMC to accept the upload is not particularly adequate. Now, there are so many people who want to upload all their data so that the NIMC will verify.

“That is not happening because there is so much congestion right now. And unfortunately, the relevant ministry does not want to listen. They are still saying, through the NCC, that they are not going to extend it anymore. This is why we would be joining SERAP by end of this month in its suit against the government.”

Ogunbanjo further said that subscribers were paying as much as N10,000 to get their numbers verified within three to four days at NIMC centres.

He stated, “It is a problem. Go to the NIMC centres, it is a mess. Again, if your NIN and Number are verified within three to four days, you would have to pay N10,000. People are paying because they are frustrated.

“We are still appealing to the agencies to give at least another three-month extension. Let them unbar subscribers so that sanity can be restored to the centres. Another 90 days won’t make any difference, it would only give us time to regularise.”

Efforts to reach the Head, Corporate Communications at the Nigeria Identity Management Commission, Mr Kayode Adegoke, proved abortive.

Calls and WhatApp messages sent to him were not responded to as of the time of filing this report.

PUNCH

Business

Why We Sited Our Multi-Billion Naira Automobile Firm Branch in Benin – Skyewise Group CEO

Published

1 day ago

May 4, 2026

Editor

Dr. Elvis Abuyere, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director of Skyewise Group, an automobile firm, has explained the reason for establishing a branch of the company in Benin City, the Edo State capital, describing the ancient city as “a growing economy full of enormous potential for vibrant youth.”

He added that the company considers Edo State one of the most interesting states, noting that the decision aligns with its long-term vision.

Abuyere, who spoke in Benin on Monday while taking journalists on a tour of the new automobile facility, said:
“We started very small — from Abuja to Lagos and now Benin. It is a joy and privilege for us to have completed this amazing regional office with Skyewise Group.”

According to him, beyond the automobile business, Skyewise Group is in Benin to invest in real estate, logistics, youth empowerment, and credit management. “Aand also to lend our support to what the Edo State Government is doing, knowing the fact that there is an agenda,” he added.

The young CEO urged youths in Nigeria, particularly those in Edo State, to embrace entrepreneurship, stressing that “we believe it is the future of Africa,” especially Nigeria.

He said Nigeria stands as the giant of Africa and that its youth must take bold steps in the entrepreneurship landscape.

According to Abuyere, to ensure Edo youths actualise their entrepreneurial potential, the company has prepared soft loans to help them start businesses, adding that Skyewise Group is not limited to automobile operations.

He said: “More importantly to us is youth empowerment. We want our youth to be empowered, and this is where the Skyewise Foundation comes in.

“We believe the future of Africa is entrepreneurship, and that future lies in the hands of the young people of Nigeria. We want to empower them to stand the test of time, build something meaningful, and reduce unemployment and insecurity in our land.

“I believe we need to begin taking bold steps by refining the mindset of our young people. We need to give them a sense of belonging and direction.

“We have been addressing the liquidity gap in society by providing microloans to support businesses in our environment and in Benin City.”

When asked why he chose Benin City for the multi-billion naira automobile firm, Abuyere noted: “I think this is the first automobile showroom in Edo State where you can see a car lifted from the ground floor to the first floor and beyond.”

Business

JUST IN: Nigerian Filling Stations Reduce Fuel Price After Hike

Published

3 days ago

May 2, 2026

Editor

Nigerian filling stations reduced their Premium Motor Spirit price on Saturday, barely 24 hours after the hike.

Checks by DAILY POST showed that Ranoil, Empire Energy, and other filling stations in Abuja adjusted their petrol pumps to N1,365 and N1,375 per litre respectively, down from N1,440 per litre on Friday.

This means that petroleum marketers dropped their fuel price by N65 and N75 per litre. DAILY POST reports that the move was to attract patronage from customers.

Recall that three days ago, Nigerian filling stations had raised their petrol pump price to between N1,365 and N1,440 nationwide after Dangote Refinery and depot owners increased ex-depot prices to around N1,275 and N1,290 per litre.

According to DAILY POST, while the Nigerian National Petroleum Company Limited and MRS Bovas filling stations raised their petrol price to around N1,365 per litre, others adjusted theirs above N1,440 per litre.

However, with the latest fuel price reduction by Ranoil and Empire Energy, the majority of filling station outlets now dispense petrol between N1,365 and N1,375 per litre.

This development comes as the ripple effect of crude oil prices continues to impact Nigeria’s domestic fuel price.

Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude rose to $114 and $105 per barrel before dropping to $108 and $101 after the filing of this report.

Business

Dangote Refinery Hikes Petrol Price

Published

6 days ago

April 29, 2026

Editor

Dangote Refinery has increased the ex-depot price of petrol by N75.

The refinery announced the increase on Wednesday, hiking the the price from N1,200 to N1,275 per litre.
In the same way, coastal prices have gone up to N1,215 per litre.

This adjustment amid Brent crude trading at $114.80 per barrel marks a 3.15% increase.

DAILY POST reports that Brent crude has increased to $115 per barrel, while West Texas Intermediate rose to $103 per barrel on Wednesday.