NIN-SIM linkage: FG extends exercise to Dec 31

THE Federal Government has approved extension of the deadline for the linkage of National Identity Number (NIN) and Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) data verification.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), conveyed the approval in a joint statement by Director, Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission and Head, Corporate Communications, National Identity Management Commission, Mr. Kayode Adegoke.

He urged citizens and legal residents to endeavour to complete the process before the end of the year 2021.

The Minister said the extension of the linkage exercise was approved due to appeal 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.

He also said that 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 enrollment in countries with a significant number of Nigerians.

According to him, the review of the progress of the exercise indicated that over 66 million unique National Identity Numbers (NIN) have been issued so far, an indication of progress achieved in the ongoing NIN-SIM linkage.