The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, has urged Nigerians to do everything possible to secure their National Identity Numbers (NINs).
This comes amidst rising anxieties over SIM-NIN connection by many mobile network subscribers in the country.
On Monday, the minister urged Nigerians to secure and protect their NINs, and desist from selling their NINs or allowing others to use their NINs for registration.
He stated this at the end of a review meeting of the Technical Implementation Committee under the Ministerial Task Force, on Monday.
Pantami said, “For any action committed with the SIM, good or bad, it will be officially traced and attached to the NIN owner.”
In similar reports, there has been significant progress in the ongoing NIN-SIM linkage exercise.
A statement signed by the Director Public Affairs, Nigerian Communications Commission, Ikechukwu Adinde, revealed that a total of 47.8 million NINs had been collected by mobile operators at an average of three to four SIMs per subscriber.
“This means many millions will be linked up before the deadline in February 2021.”
Reacting to the report, Pantami expressed satisfaction with this commendable achievement. He expressed the Nigerian government’s appreciation for the commitment demonstrated by all stakeholders and citizens and urged them to submit their NINs before the 9th February, 2021 deadline.
The minister urged the technical team to fast-track the processes so that the project is delivered soon.
