Telecommunications operators in Nigeria have announced the full resumption of SIM swap and related services following a four-week nationwide outage linked to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)’s migration to a new verification platform.
The outage rendered millions of subscribers unable to perform SIM-related tasks such as swaps, replacements, and activations.
Operators in the industry say the disruption began on June 26, 2025 when telcos temporarily halted SIM registrations and swaps due to unforeseen technical challenges during the transition to NIMC’s upgraded identity verification system. The migration was mandated to enhance the integrity and efficiency of national identity management but caused major service interruptions across all Nigerian networks.
However, July 21, both MTN and Airtel confirmed via their social media handles that SIM swap services have now fully resumed. MTN announced: “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.
In a public update issued via its MTN Nigeria Support handle on X (formerly Twitter), MTN confirmed that 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,” it stated.
The telco also apologised to affected customers and encouraged them to visit MTN service centres for any pending issues or assistance.
Airtel Nigeria shared a similar update on its own social media platform, stating; “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 value our partnership with the NIMC and appreciate your patience.”
Both providers reiterated that their SIM swap services are now active nationwide, though they advised subscribers experiencing residual delays to report to the nearest customer service outlet.
While other major operators such as Glo and 9mobile have yet to issue formal statements as of press time, NIMC has reposted both MTN and Airtel updates through its verified social media channels, suggesting a general restoration of services across multiple networks.
The recent downtime caused widespread frustration among mobile users, especially those who had lost their phones, needed to retrieve their numbers, or were in the process of porting services.
The issue also affected new SIM activations, posing challenges for businesses and individuals dependent on constant connectivity.
This marks the latest in a series of challenges linked to the federal government’s SIM-NIN integration drive, which culminated in the disconnection of all unlinked SIMs in September 2024 after multiple deadline extensions. Since then, telecom operators have been required to verify every SIM registration against the NIN database in real time before activation.
Industry players have lauded the improved identity infrastructure but stressed the need for better communication and contingency planning during future platform upgrades to minimize public inconvenience.
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