• NIMC Issues 66m Unique NIN
• Pantami Urges Nigerians To Take Advantage Of Extension
The Federal Government has revealed that a significant part of the populace is yet to be registered into the National Identity Database (NIDB), which may be due to some challenges, and as such, necessitating an extension of the National Identification Number -Subscriber Identification Number (NIN-SIM) registration exercise.
After about seven different extensions, the FG had initially given today, October 31 as the deadline. But a statement yesterday, informed that the exercise has again been extended till December 31, 2021.
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According to the statement jointly signed by both the Director of Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ike Adinde and Head of Corporate Communications, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Kayode Adegoke, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Pantami, approved an extension of the exercise till the end of the year.
The statement disclosed that as at yesterday (Saturday), the NIMC had so far issued 66 million unique NIN.The statement reads: “The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) has conveyed the approval of the Federal Government to extend the deadline for the National Identity Number (NIN)-Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data verification. Citizens and legal residents are urged to complete the process before the end of the year 2021.
“The decision to extend the deadline was made further to appeals by the Mobile Network Operators and other industry stakeholders, soliciting for a further extension to ensure better compliance with government’s directive and to avoid widening the digital divide.
“The extension would also provide the enabling environment for the registration of Nigerians in remote areas, diaspora, schools, hospitals, worship centres, as well as foreigners, diplomatic missions, those in other areas that were hitherto unreachable, and increase enrolments in countries with a significant number of Nigerians.”
The statement revealed that the review of the progress of the exercise indicated that over 66 million unique NIN have been issued an indication of progress achieved in the ongoing NIN-SIM linkage.
“However, a significant part of the populace is yet to be registered into the National Identity Database (NIDB), which may be due to some challenges which the Federal Government has looked into and has made efforts to alleviate, hence the need to extend the deadline,” NIMC stated.
According to NCC and NIMC, as of October 30, 2021, there were over 9,500 enrolment systems and over 8,000 NIN enrolment centres within and outside the country, which has significantly eased the NIN enrolment process and subsequent linkage of NIN to SIM.
They explained that the NIN-SIM verification process is supporting the government’s drive to develop Nigeria’s digital economy, strengthen our ability to protect our cyberspace and support the security agencies.
According to the statement, the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, has graciously approved the extension to accommodate the yearnings of the populace and make it easier for its citizens within and outside the country, and legal residents to obtain the NIN and link it with their SIM.
“The Federal Government will ensure that all innocent, law abiding citizens and residents will not lose access to their phone lines as long as they obtain and link their NIN. Government will also continue to provide an enabling environment for investors in the telecommunications sector.”
The unique 66 million NIN enrolments, with an average of three to four SIMs linked to the NIN, is a testament to the commitment and dedication of the FG, through the NCC and the NIMC to ensure the success of the project.
The statement noted that with the creation of additional NIN enrolment centres within and outside the country, and many more coming up, the remaining citizens and legal residents living in the country and the diaspora should be able to obtain their NINs and link them with their SIMs before the end of the year.
“Consequently, the Minister enjoins Nigerians and legal residents to make use of the opportunity of the extension to enrol for their NINs and link with their SIMs.
“On behalf of the FGN, the Minister, the Executive Vice Chairman of NCC, Prof. Umar Garba Danbatta, and the Director-General/CEO of NIMC, Aliyu A. Aziz, urge citizens and legal residents to take advantage of the window to complete the process of enrolment and verification before the end of the year 2021,” it added.
The President of the National Association of Telecommunications Subscribers of Nigeria (NATCOMs), Chief Deolu Ogunbanjo thanked the FG, particularly the Minister.
“This is a good news. By end of the year, we shall take stock through the telecoms operators especially in the areas affected by bandits, and from there we can progress,” Ogunbanjo stated.
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