The federal government has approved the extension of the deadline for NIN-SIM data verification to the 30th of June, 2021.
The extension was as a result of the virtual meeting chaired by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami.
The meeting was also attended by Chairman Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Adeolu Akande, Executive Vice Chairman of NCC Prof Umar Garba Dambatta and the Director-General National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Engr Aliyu Aziz.
In a joint statement by NCC public affairs heads Dr Ikechukwu Adinde and Mr Kayode Adegoke, on Tuesday said the postponement of the deadline was also based on the request by stakeholders for an extension till 30th of June in order to make it easier for all citizens and legal residents to register.
However, “Significant progress has been made in the NIN-SIM verification process. For example, almost 54 million people have obtained their NIN and this can translate to up to 190 million mobile numbers, since empirical evidence suggests that each unique NIN maps to 3 to 4 phone lines.”
The statement added that, “the much awaited Android enrolment system is now ready for deployment and this has the potential to significantly accelerate the speed and ease of enrolments.
Furthermore, the telecom providers and other enrolment agents have also opened several centers across the country to make it easier for eligible citizens and residents to obtain and link their NINs.
It is noteworthy that Sections 27 and 29 of the National Identity Management Commission Act 2007 provides for the mandatory use of National Identity Number for accessing several government services.
This is similar to the use of Social Security Number and National Insurance Number for accessing services in the United States of America and the United Kingdom respectively.
