FG Extends NIN-SIM Linkage Till End Of The Year

FG Extends NIN-SIM Linkage Till End Of The Year

FG has extended the NIN-SIM verification exercise, urged citizens & legal residents to enrol before the end of the year

Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) has received approval from the Federal Government to extend the deadline for the National Identity Number (NIN)-Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data verification, urging citizens and legal residents to complete the process before the end of 2021.

iexclusive News Nigeria reports that following pleas from Mobile Network Operators and other industry players, the decision to extend the deadline was made to guarantee better compliance with the government’s instruction and to avoid expanding the digital divide.

The extension would also create an enabling environment for the registration of Nigerians in remote areas, the diaspora, schools, hospitals, and worship centers, as well as foreigners, diplomatic missions, and those in previously unreachable areas, as well as increase enrolments in countries with a large Nigerian population.

“The review of the progress of the exercise indicated that over 66 million unique National Identity Numbers (NIN) have been issued- an indication of progress achieved in the ongoing NIN-SIM linkage,” said Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission, and Mr. Kayode Adegoke, Head, Corporate Communications, Nigerian Identity Management Commission, in a joint statement released on Saturday.

“However, a sizable portion of the population has still to be registered in the National Identity Database (NIDB), which may be owing to several issues that the Federal Government has investigated and attempted to resolve, necessitating the need to extend the deadline.”

“As of October 30, 2021, there were over 9,500 enrolment systems and over 8,000 NIN enrolment centers both inside and outside the country, making the NIN enrolment process and subsequent SIM linking substantially easier.”

“The NIN-SIM verification procedure assists the government in developing Nigeria’s digital economy, strengthening our ability to defend our cyberspace, and assisting security agencies.”

The statement went on to say that President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, generously approved the extension in order to meet the people’s needs and make it easier for citizens both inside and outside the country, as well as legal residents, to receive the NIN and link it to their SIM.

“As long as they receive and link their NIN, the Federal Government will ensure that all innocent, law-abiding persons and residents will not lose access to their phone lines.”

It also stated that the government will continue to provide an enabling environment for telecoms investors.

“The 66 million NIN enrolments, with an average of 3 to 4 SIMs linked to the NIN, are a tribute to the Federal Government’s commitment and dedication to the project’s success, as exemplified by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).”

“With the addition of additional NIN enrolment centers both inside and outside the country, and many more on the way, the remaining citizens and legal residents living in the country and in the diaspora should be able to obtain their NINs and link them to their SIMs before the end of the year,” says the government.

As a result, the Honourable Minister encourages Nigerians and legal residents to take advantage of the extension to register for their NINs and link them to their SIM cards.

The Honourable Minister, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, and Engr. Aliyu Aziz, Director-General/CEO of NIMC, urge citizens and legal residents to take advantage of the window to complete the enrolment and verification process before the end of 2021.