The lead industry body for telecoms, Association of Licensed Telecoms Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) has called for understanding by subscribers on the ongoing order by the government for the immediate integration of National Identity Number (NIN) supplied by NIMC and all SIM cards.
In a statement issued by the group and signed by its chairman, Engr Gbenga Adebayo, ALTON averred that “As an industry, we recognise the importance of a strong national identity system and the critical contribution it will make to the accelerated growth of our digital economy. The COVID-19 pandemic has made the role of digital communications, products and services even more important in our daily lives and it is a national challenge to ensure that the building blocks are in place to enable them to be provided safely and securely, to all.”
“We are committed to working closely with all stakeholders to overcome this challenge and deliver an inclusive, value adding digital economy Nigeria can be proud of. We fully understand the vital role that we, as digital operators, have to play in this process and we are collectively committed to investing in the systems, processes and support structure that are required to enable it.
“In line with that, we wish to communicate our intention to fully comply with the two directives issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in the past week, and to work closely with them to overcome this challenge, together.
We understand that this process will be inconvenient for subscribers, and we are committed to ensuring we provide the information and support that you will need to manage this transition.
Continuing, ALTON noted that “Our focus is on minimising the disruption that it will cause and as the delivery mechanisms are developed, we will provide further information.
We continue to seek for your cooperation and understanding as we work with Government in ensuring a reliable National Identity Ecosystem.”
