A few days ago, the Federal government of Nigeria issued a directive to all Telcos to block all SIM card without a NIN linked to it after a period of 14days. While we didn’t get any information has to why the federal government gave this directive with a very short time for Nigerians, everyone with a SIM is advised to link their NIN against any new development that may be in preparation.
Since the announcement of this new order, all telecoms companies have been rolling out methods for subscribers to link their NIN to their various SIM. For individuals who are having a hard time linking their NIN to their sim cards, I’ll be sharing simple methods to link your NIN to any network at the comfort of your home. More details about this will be discussed later in this article.
First lets understand what NIN is.
What is NIN?
NIN (National Identification Number) is a special set number which consists of eleven digits assigned to an individual by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), upon successful enrolment. This number is used for tracking every registered citizen of the country and contain personal information of each individual including name, dob, address, biometrics, digital signature and more.
According to NIMC, the NIN number is (can be) used for the following:
- obtaining your National e-ID card
- travel (international passport application & acquisition)
- opening personal bank accounts
- getting your driver’s license
- obtaining your Permanent Voters’ Card
- participating in the National Health Insurance Scheme
- payment of your taxes
- transactions related to your contributory pension scheme
- access to welfare and other relevant services from the Nigerian Government
- transactions with social security implications
- land transactions subject to the Land Use Act
- any other transactions NIMC may so prescribe and list in the Federal Government Gazette
More details about the NIN can be found on the NIMC official website.
But I don’t have a NIN, How do I enroll for NIN?
To apply for a NIN, you simply need to visit any NIMC enrolment centre near you to register. To speed up the registration process, you can visit the NIMC website and fill a pre-enrolment form. After filling the form, you need to download a copy of the filled form and take it to the enrolment centre close to you, this way you already provided all the necessary information’s required for the process and will only need to confirm a few things at the centre and that’s it. Your information will be processed and you’ll be given a temporal National ID which contains your information and a NIN.
I have registered but I misplaced my NIN slip?
For misplaced NIN slip, you need to retrieve/reprint your slip. For that, you have to pay a sum of N500 through REMITA at any bank nearest to you; provide your Remita Teller to any NIMC Enrolment Centre (ERC) near you and request for a NIN slip print.
How to check NIN on MTN, Glo, Airtel and 9mobile?
Alternatively, you can retrieve your NIN using the NIMC USSD service. To do that, follow the simple steps below:
- Dial *346# on your phone using the same phone number you provided during enrolment.
- You’ll get a welcome message and an instruction which reads; select 1 for “NIN Retrieval” or 2 to cancel – Select 1 for NIN retrieval.
- Your NIN will be displayed on the next screen, you can now write it down for the linking process.
How to Link Your Phone Number With Your NIN
For those with a NIN and want to link it with their SIM, follow the step by step guide for each network below:
For MTN Users
You simply need to visit MTN’s website and fill the NIN form to link your number or dial *785# on your phone and follow the instructions to update your NIN. Also, you can get this done in the myMTNApp if you have it installed.
For Airtel Users
Visit Airtel’s NIN update page and provide the necessary information’s. Alternatively, you can update your NIN using the USSD code *121# on your Airtel line. Choose “NIN Capture” on the next page and enter your 11-digit NIN, then, send.
Wait for a confirmation message. If you get an error, wait for a few minutes and try again.
For GLO Users
To link your NIN to your Glo phone number, visit Glo’s NIN update page and enter your details. Or update your NIN using a text message. Open your message app and Send – “UpdateNIN NIN FirstName LastName” (e.g UPDATENIN 12345678900 Adewale Mudasiru) to 109.
For 9Mobile Users
To update your NIN to your 9mobile line, visit 9mobile’s NIN update page and enter the necessary information or dial *346# on your 9mobile number and follow the step by step guide to link your number.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will I be charged for using the NIMC USSD service to check my NIN?
Yes. The National Identity Management Commission USSD service attracts N20 charge for all networks.
I have more than one SIM, can I link all to my NIN?
Yes. If you have two or more SIM cards, you can link all to your NIN.
Can I link my NIN to my spouse phone number?
No, you cannot. Everyone has to enrol for a NIN individually. It is a Personal Identification Number that cannot be shared.
Is there a deadline for the NIN enrolment?
Apparently, the federal government has given the citizen 10 weeks for the enrolment exercise but I believe it will still be extended. This also means the initial two weeks deadline no longer applies.
Will my line be blocked if my NIN is not linked?
Yes. All lines that are not linked with NIN Number after the deadline will be blocked, however, your SIM will remain intact and will be usable again once you have updated your NIN.
Do I need to take anything along to the enrolment centre?
No, you’re not required to come with any material to the enrolment centre except you’re bringing a pre-enrolment form – that is if you did a pre-registration.