Rédaction Africa Links 24 with Guardian Nigeria
Published on 2024-04-03 04:45:29
Telecommunication operators in Nigeria have expressed frustration with the slow response of subscribers to verification calls for their national identity numbers (NINs). At a recent forum, these operators criticized subscribers for their laissez-faire approach to important processes, causing delays and revenue loss for the telcos when subscribers are barred from using their services.
Operators from companies like Smile Communications, MTN, Airtel, and Globacom all voiced their concerns about the verification process for NIN-SIM linkage and urged the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to increase its capacity to handle backlogs and expedite the verification process. They emphasized the need for a simplified process that would allow subscribers who have been barred to easily retrieve their lines once all necessary corrections have been made.
The operators highlighted the importance of having a correct identification database for all Nigerians and foreigners in the country. They emphasized that the NIN details provided by NIMC should be the single source of truth for identification purposes, ensuring consistency across all agencies and services that require this information. This harmonization journey aims to streamline the verification process and eliminate discrepancies in data provided by subscribers.
Despite their efforts to support NIMC and improve the verification process, operators like Airtel and MTN revealed that challenges still exist due to slow response times from subscribers. They stressed the importance of completing the verification process in a timely manner to avoid disruptions in service and potential revenue loss for telcos.
The President of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers of Nigeria (NATCOMS), Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo, also called for an extension of the deadline for verification, citing the high number of unverified NINs submitted by subscribers. He emphasized the importance of completing registrations fully at the Operator’s Consumer Centre to ensure data accuracy and verifiability.
Ogunbanjo also addressed issues with incomplete registrations caused by telecom agents who fail to collect all necessary information from subscribers. These incomplete registrations are deemed unverifiable, leading to delays in the verification process. Additionally, network issues when uploading data to NIMC’s server have further exacerbated the challenges faced by operators in completing verifications.
In conclusion, telecommunication operators in Nigeria are urging NIMC to enhance its capacity and streamline the verification process for NIN-SIM linkage. They emphasize the need for subscribers to respond promptly to verification calls in order to avoid disruptions in service and ensure a reliable identification database for all Nigerians and foreigners in the country. By working together to address these challenges, operators and regulatory bodies can improve the efficiency of the verification process and enhance the overall telecoms experience for subscribers.
