NCC Proposes N200,000 Fine for Telcos’ Failure to Verify Subscriber’s NIN

The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC has proposed a fine of N200,000 for mobile communications services providers that fail to verify and validate biometric, National Identity Number (NIN) and other personal information of each subscriber to their services.

This was contained in a proposed draft regulation on registration of telephone subscribers 2020 recently published on NCC’s website.

Recall, Business Remarks reported that telecommunication companies have lost 20.103 million subscribers since the Federal Government began the linking of National Identity Number (NIN) with SIM cards, according to industry statistics released by the Nigerian Communications Commission.

The draft document read, “A licensee who fails to verify and validate biometric, NIN and other personal information before activation is liable to a penalty of N200, 000 for each subscription medium in breach of these requirements.”

According to the regulation, mobile services providers that allow subscribers to make and receive calls, send and receive short message services and other range of services usually provided by such operators without first verifying the subscribers’ personal information, including NIN, will be fined per subscription medium.

“Any licensee who activates or fails to deactivate a subscription medium in violation of any provision of these Regulations is liable to a penalty of N200,000.00 for each unregistered but activated subscription medium.”

In the same vein, the telecom regulator also noted that for the subscriber identity module (SIM) replacement guideline, all network service providers must keep a register of all SIM replacements undertaken by it for not less than two years — no longer than 12 months.

According to the regulator, MNO (mobile service operator) must verify Customer Biometrics (including Fingerprint or Customer Live image) with MSISDN against SIM Registration Database.

For lost SIM replacement, NCC established that customer fingerprint or facial image must be matched or be the same with SIM Registration and NIMC database records.

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“MNO verifies customer’s MSISDN and fingerprint or facial image against SIM Registration record”

“Where Effective Verification is successful, MNO/verifies MSISDN, NIN and biometrics (including fingerprint or facial image) against NIMC database and retrieves Foundational data from NIMC; If unsuccessful, reject SIM Replacement;

NCC also noted MNO system must match NIMC Foundational data with SIM Registration records.

“Where NIMC Verification is unsuccessful, customers will be advised to visit NIMC to update data or enrol for NIN as applicable.

Business Remarks reported that the Federal Government had extended the deadline for NIN-SIM data verification to October 31.