MOBILE USERS STRANDED AS SIM SERVICES SUSPENDED NATIONWIDE

Mobile phone users across Nigeria have been left stranded as the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) announced a temporary nationwide suspension of all SIM-related services. The disruption affects SIM swaps, replacements, activations, and number porting, causing significant inconvenience to millions of subscribers who rely on their mobile phones for daily transactions and communication.
ALTON, in a joint statement by Chairman Engr. Gbenga Adebayo and Publicity Secretary Barr. Damian Udeh, explained that the disruption follows a recent directive by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), mandating a migration to a new identity verification platform. The transition, however, has been marred by technical glitches that have interrupted real-time identity checks, which are essential for processing SIM services.
The group apologized for the disruption, advising Nigerians to postpone visits to telecom service centers until further notice. While acknowledging public frustration, ALTON emphasized that the move is part of a broader national initiative to improve identity management and digital security. It also cautioned that temporary setbacks are expected with such wide-scale migrations.
Analysts have described the outage as a critical test of the government’s digital strategy, warning that prolonged service interruptions without clear communication could erode public confidence. ALTON reaffirmed its members’ commitment to speedy resolution, regulatory compliance, and reliable service delivery, promising timely updates as work continues to restore full functionality.