No fewer than 47.8 million National Identification Numbers, NINs, have been collected by mobile operators in the ongoing NIN-SIM linkage exercise across the country.
At an average of three to four SIMs per subscriber, this means many millions will be linked up before the deadline in February 2021.
The Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, made this known on Tuesday in a statement issued by its Director, Public Affairs, Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde.
He said the information were given at the end of a review meeting on 18th January 2021 with the Technical Implementation Committee under the Ministerial Task Force reporting significant progress in the exercise.
He said reacting to the report, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, expressed satisfaction with the achievement which he (Pantami) said was commendable.
The minister expressed the federal government’s appreciation for the commitment demonstrated by all stakeholders and citizens and urged them to submit their NINs before 9th February, 2021 deadline.
The minister was said to have also urged the technical team to fast-track the processes so that the project would be delivered soonest.
The technical committee was said to have drawn attention to the App developed by the federal government which allows subscribers to link up to a maximum of seven SIMs to their NIN.
The minister, it was said, warned Nigerians to secure and protect their NINs.
He also urged subscribers to desist from selling their NINs or allowing others to use their NINs for registration.
“For any action committed with the SIM, good or bad, it will be officially traced and attached to the NIN owner,” the minister warned
