The Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has debunked some online reports linking the ongoing subscriber line barring exercise, with the planned national protest.
The group in a statement signed by its Chairman, Engr Gbenga Adebayo; and Secretary, Gbolahan Awosanya said there is no connection between the two.
According to the statement, the ongoing harmonisation of the NIN/SIM link registration which deadline has earlier been set for 31st July, 2024, is responsible.
The statement therefore gave full details of how subscribers with blocked lines can have their lines unbarred.
“The fact of the matter is that the harmonization exercise of the SIM Registration database and National Identity Database has been ongoing for several months. This is aimed at improving the integrity of the National SIM registration database.
“Customers who had their lines blocked recently are those whom their service providers found a mismatch between their records on both databases.
“We advise such customers to contact their service providers through communicated channels for resolution of the issue,” the statement said.
The statement stated further that, “however all operators have put in place measures to ensure that anyone whose line is blocked can unblock it by following some easy steps.
The steps by each operator are listed below:
- Airtel: Dial *121# and input your eleven digit NIN number. The subscriber will receive a confirmation
message that you have successfully unbarred your Airtel Sim card. - EMTS: 9Mobile: Dial 2008#
- Glo: Dial 109Your NIN number# For example if your NIN 12345678901, you would dial
10912345678901# Then follow the prompts to submit your NIN for linkage. - MTN: If a MTN line is barred, all the subscriber need do is visit nin.mtn.ng, to check the NIN status, and
if not linked, proceed to link it. During the process, an OTP would be requested, as well as the NIN.
After giving consent and submitting the NIN linking request, it will be done and the line will be automatically
unbarred.
- Smile: Send your valid NIN to customercare@smile.com.ng or call 07020444444, you will be asked to
provide consent, upon receipt of customer consent and successful verification of NIN, the line will be
unbarred. - Spectranet: Call toll free line 8002345678 and submit your NIN but will have to get your KYC done at
Spectranet Store. Customer can email us at care@spectranet.com.ng and submit their NIN but will have to submit their KYC at Spectranet Store.
Customer can go to Spectranet website and submit their NIN
online but to complete the process they will have to do KYC at Spectranet Store.
- Ntel: Customer should visits any Ntel store with their NIN, fingerprint is used to call up their existing
KYC profile with Ntel for verification, consent is received and line is updated and unbarred.
In case these online steps fail, subscribers can physically visit any walk-in centres of operators, to unblock theirlines.
