Nigerian Telcos Temporarily Halt SIM Services as NIMC Begins Platform Migration

Telecommunications operators across Nigeria have temporarily suspended several SIM-related services following a nationwide technical migration initiated by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC ). The move, announced in a statement by the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON ), has disrupted SIM activations, swaps, replacements, and mobile number portability across all networks.

According to ALTON, the disruption stems from NIMC’s transition to a new identity verification platform aimed at strengthening national digital security and improving the efficiency of ID authentication processes. While the migration is seen as a necessary upgrade, telcos say the sudden switch has led to technical challenges affecting service delivery.

“This disruption affects all telecom operators in the country,” ALTON said in the statement issued. “The migration, as explained by NIMC, is intended to improve the security and efficiency of the national identity verification process.”

In the wake of the interruption, ALTON urged subscribers to delay visits to service centres for SIM-related transactions, while reassuring the public of efforts to restore normal operations in collaboration with NIMC and the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC).

“We understand the inconvenience this may cause and sincerely apologise for the disruption,” the association added. “We remain fully committed to regulatory compliance and will continue to provide timely updates.”

The current situation underscores the delicate balance between digital infrastructure upgrades and user experience, especially in a country where SIM services are closely tied to financial access, communication, and national security measures such as SIM-NIN integration.

No firm timeline has been provided for the full restoration of services, but ALTON says work is ongoing to minimise downtime and mitigate impact.