The Federal Government is leaving no stone unturned in its effort to ensure that Nigerians link their National Identity Numbers (NIN) with their Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs).
This is as the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) said that the October 31 deadline issued to subscribers to link their NIN with SIMs remains unchanged.
NCC’s position was disclosed in a statement titled ‘NIN-SIM Integration: NCC sensitises telecom consumers on October 31 Deadline.’
The statement was signed by Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, NCC’s Director of Public Affairs.
The statement partly read:
“NCC has reminded and urged telecoms consumers to link their NINs with their SIMs before the expiration of the deadline of October 31, 2021, set by the Federal Government.”
“Speaking during the live programme, Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, advised Nigerians to make use of the extension of the NIN-SIM integration exercise to October 31, 2021, to enrol with NIMC, get their NINs and link them to their SIMs.”
WHAT THIS MEANS:
- Soon, people without NIN will be denied necessary services that play vital roles in their lives including the acquisition of a driving licence and passport.
- The NCC noted that SIMs without unique identification could be used to commit crimes that remain untraceable.
- Adinde said the NIN-SIM integration exercise will significantly enhance national security as NIN is the primary identity for Nigerians.
- The NIN-SIM database will enhance citizens’ access to government services, in line with the Federal Government’s commitment to ensure that Nigeria deploys technology to improve service delivery.
- The submission of NIN to a mobile network provider helps to provide a means of verifying an individual’s identity and safeguarding both identity and mobile line.
Meanwhile, some Nigerians had, over the course of time, kicked against the idea of linking their NIN and SIM.
According to them, their information is being shared with third parties who may pose threat to their lives. This submission followed the revelations that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, had ties with terrorist organisations such as Al-Qaeda.
