Federal Government has extended the deadline of linkage of National Identity Number (NIN) to SIM cards by 8 weeks.
It would be recalled that on December 15, Federal Government declared that after December 30, all SIMs that were not registered with valid NINs on the network of telecommunications companies would be blocked.
Read Also: NCC Gives MTN, Airtel, Others Two Weeks To Block SIM Cards Without NIN
It later extended the December 30 deadline following widespread opposition against the earlier announcement and gave three weeks’ extension for subscribers with NIN from December 30, to January 19, 2021.
FG also gave six weeks’ extension for subscribers without NIN from December 30, 2020, to February 9, 2021.
Read Also:FG Extends Deadline For Telcos To Block SIMs Without NIN
However, shortly before the January deadline elapsed, many telephone users and organisations called for a deadline extension or outright suspension of the NIN registration process due to the large number of people that are yet to get their NINs.
Yielding to the demand of the people, President Muhammadu Buhari ordered an extension of the process till February 9.
Read Also: NIN-SIM Card Linkage: Buhari Extends Deadline Till February 9
Nevertheless, the call for further extension increased, considering the mammoth crowd still visiting NIMC offices for NIN registration everyday around the country.
FG has now decided to further extend the deadline in order to give room for more participation.
This was contained in a statement jointly signed by Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs of Nigerian Communications Commission and Mr. Kayode Adegoke, Head, Corporate, Nigeria Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
The message was conveyed by Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami during the meeting of the Ministerial Taskforce on NIN-SIM registration held on February 1, 2021.
Dr Pantami stated that the extension is to give Nigerians and legal residents more time to integrate their NIN with the SIM.
The meeting was chaired by the Honourable Minister and attended by key stakeholders, including the EVC/CEO of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), DG/CEO of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), DG/CEO of the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) and the Chairman of the Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON).
Others include the MD/CEOs of MTN, Airtel, 9Mobile, Ntel, Spectranet and SMILE, as well as the Chief Operating Officers (COO) of Globacom.
The joint statement added that a total of 56.18 million NINs have been collected by the mobile network operators, “a significant increase when compared with the 47.8 million reported by the Technical Committee on January 18, 2021.”
The NIN exercise and deadline(s) attached to it has drawn backlash from several quarters over its timing as thousands flock to registration centres, flouting COVID-19 directives such as social distancing and the wearing of masks.
However, the federal government blamed Nigerians for not complying with strict COVID-19 protocols put in place for the smooth conduct of the exercise.
Read the full statement below;
It was reported that a total of 56.18 million NINs have been collected by the mobile network operators. Each NIN is usually tied to an average of 3 to 4 SIMs and this infers that the current figure accounts for a significant portion of the existing SIMs. This number of NINs collected represents a significant increase when compared with the 47.8 million reported by the Technical Committee on January 18, 2021.
Furthermore, over 1, 060 registration centres for NIN have been activated and made operational by NIMC across the country, while Mobile Network Operators (MNOs) have opened hundreds of centres and are rapidly deploying resources to open thousands of other NIN enrolment centres across states of the country. This is in line with the policy of the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari to enhance security and make the process of obtaining NINs easier for Nigerians.
The CEOs of the telcos and the Chairman of the ALTON commended the Honourable Minister for his stellar leadership and commitment to the rapid development of the sector.
Dr. Pantami reiterates the need for Nigerians and legal residents, who are yet to register for the NIN, to be diligent and take advantage of the extension to enrol for their NIN and link with their SIMs. It would be recalled that the 4th of February, 2020 was the initial date of the commencement of the National NIN-SIM Registration Policy.
The Federal Government of Nigeria applauds all Nigerians and persons of other nationalities for their understanding, cooperation and for enthusiastically participating in the exercise. The Honourable Minister also commended the efforts of NIMC, NCC, MNOs and all other relevant government and private sector organisations for their unflinching support towards the success of the exercise.
President Muhammadu Buhari has expressed his satisfaction with the progress made regarding the NIN-SIM linkage and commended the Honourable Minister and all stakeholders for their roles. He encouraged citizens to take advantage of the extension to fully participate in the process.
The Honourable minister implores applicants to follow the safety guidelines at all the NIN enrolment centers and ensure compliance with the booking system in place. This protocol is in line with the Executive Order on COVID-19 2020 signed by President Muhammadu Buhari on the 27th of January 2021, in keeping with the provisions of the Quarantine Act 2004.It is noteworthy that Sections 27 and 29 of the NIMC Act 2007 provides for the mandatory use of NIN for transactions, including application and issuance of a passport, opening of personal bank accounts, purchase of insurance policies, voter registration, obtaining credit, among others.
