Telecommunications companies have announced that they have resumed SIM swap services after recent interruptions impacted millions of users throughout Nigeria.
On Sunday, both MTN and Airtel provided this update, citing the delays in service as a result of complications accessing the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)’s verification platform. The telecom companies also acknowledged the previous disruptions and recommended that affected customers visit service centres for assistance.
“SIM swaps have now resumed. We can confirm that NIMC services are fully operational and appreciate their support in the migration to a new platform for NIN verification services for the telecommunications industry.” MTN said in a post on X.
Airtel Nigeria also issued an update on its social media platform, saying “The NIMC PORTAL is up and running. We regret earlier messages suggesting otherwise. We are sorry for the delay and are addressing the issue. We’ll update customers once resolved. We value our partnership with the NIMC and value your patience.”
Both telcos have urged customers who are still experiencing delays to go to the nearest service centres for quick help, while also thanking them for their understanding during the service interruptions.
Earlier in July, a significant number of telecom subscribers in Nigeria were unable to utilise SIM-related services, such as swaps, replacements, and new activations, due to a nationwide technical issue.
The problem was linked to a platform migration initiated by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), which temporarily hindered access to the NIN verification system relied upon by telecom companies.
