For the umpteenth time, the federal government has extended the deadline for the National Identification Number (NIN)-SIM data verification to October 31.
The director of public affairs of the Nigerian Communications Commission, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, and the head, corporate communications at the Nigeria Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Mr. Kayode Adegoke disclosed this in a joint statement entitled ‘FG Extends NIN-SIM verification deadline to 31st October, 2021 as focus shifts to remote and hard-to-reach areas, schools and health centres.’
According to the statement, the extension was due to a request by stakeholders to ensure that the registration gets to hard-to-reach areas as well as outside the country.
“The federal government has approved the extension of the deadline for NIN-SIM data verification to the 31st of October, 2021.
“The decision to extend the deadline was made following a request by stakeholders to accommodate registration in hard-to-reach remote areas, foreigners and diplomatic missions, diaspora and address low enrolments in schools and hospitals, as evidenced by enrolment statistics,” it said.
It also followed a review of the progress of the exercise which indicated significant progress hence the need to consolidate the gains of the enrolment and NIN-SIM verification process across the country.
It also stated that the extension was approved “as part of efforts to make it easier for its citizens within and outside the country, and legal residents to obtain the NIN and it is important to take advantage of the extension.
“As at July 24th, 2021, there are over 5,500 enrolment systems within and outside the country and this would significantly ease the NIN enrolment process and subsequent linkage of NIN to SIM.
“The NIN-SIM linkage also makes it easier for the security agencies to carry out their statutory duties and the relevant parastatals under the ministry of communications and digital economy are supporting them as required”.
According to Adinde and Adegoke, there are over 5,500 enrolment systems within and outside Nigeria as of Saturday, July 24, 2021.
The commission believes this will “significantly ease the NIN enrolment process and subsequent linkage of NIN to SIM.”
The statement also revealed that so far, there have been a total of 59.8 million unique NIN enrolments, with an average of three to four SIMs per NIN.
Recall that since December 2020, this is the sixth time the government is extending NIN-SIM linking deadline.
Previous deadlines handed down to Nigerians to link their SIMs with their NINs or lose their phone numbers were December 30, 2020; January 19, 2021; February 9, 2021; April 6, 2021; June 30, 2021, and July 26, 2021.
