NIN registration’ll affect customer growth in Nigeria – Airtel

Airtel Africa Plc has said the new SIM registration rules in Nigeria is expected to affect customer growth in the country.

The telecommunications company said this in its results for the nine-month period ended Dec. 31, 2020.

It said, “Following a directive issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission on 15 December 2020 to all Nigerian telecom operators, Airtel Nigeria is working with the government to ensure that all our subscribers provide their valid National Identification Numbers to update SIM registration records.

“New customer acquisitions are currently barred until significant progress is made on linking the current active base with verified NINs.”

Airtel noted that the deadline for customers to register their NIN with their SIM had moved from a provisional date of Dec. 30, 2020 in the initial directive in order to accommodate the logistical challenges involved.

The telco said, “The latest deadline for registration is currently 9 February 2021. We have made significant progress on capturing existing NINs and building the database in collaboration with National Identity Management Commission.

“To date, out of Airtel Nigeria’s 44.4 million customers, we have collated NIN information for 21 million mobile customers (47 percent). To complete the registration process, we still need to verify the NIN information we have received from our subscribers with the NIMC.”

This, according to the company, requires improved connectivity with the NIMC database, which is currently being developed for all the Nigerian mobile operators.

Airtel said, “We have also opened enrolment centres in collaboration with the NIMC to facilitate customers obtaining NINs for roughly half of the population that do not currently have a NIN.

“We continue to work closely with the government to ensure full compliance. We anticipate that this will affect customer growth in Nigeria in Q4’21, but the potential overall impact remains uncertain.”