Following a technical fault in the National Identity Management Commission’s portal, thousands of telecommunication users have been left stranded as they seek to retrieve their lost Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards.
Based on the Nigerian Government’s directive, the damaged NIMC portal enables telecom firms, banks, Nigerian Immigration Service, and other organisations to verify their customers’ NIN before sorting them out.
Recall that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) earlier included the NIN in the requirements for all new and existing SIM cards.
Telecom companies are thus required to synchronise their SIM registration portals with the NIMC portal so as to validate the details of their subscribers.
Prior to this development, the telecom firms have always used the customer’s valid ID card and SIM pack, and in some situations where the customer does not have that, a sworn affidavit. However, the introduction of NIN has changed that approach.
The technical glitch which has lingered for the past five days has hindered the telecom firms to sell new SIM cards or retrieve lost cards.
However, the Telecom agencies have been given access to the back route of its server, which connects the server to verify NIN. After verification, the record of the customer (the information the customer gave to NIMC while registering for NIN) will be revealed which enables the telecom firms to confirm the information the customer gave NIMC. Therefore, the customer is validated.
This process is what has been truncated for the past five days.
