Pantami extends NIM-SIM link deadline 

Pantami has praised Nigerians for complying with the federal government’s demand to connect their NIN to their SIM card, which has been extended till July 26.

Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, has praised Nigerians for complying with the federal government’s mandate to connect their National Identification Number (NIN) to their Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) by July 26.

The federal government announced on May 4 that the NIN-SIM integration experiment will be extended until June 30. The deadline was originally set for January 19, but it was pushed out to February 9, April 6, May 6, June 30, and now July 26.

The Nigerian Communications Commission’s public affairs director, Ikechukwu Adinde, stated this in a statement.

The extension came as a result of demands from stakeholders, according to a statement co-signed by Kayode Adegoke, corporate communications head of the National Identity Management Commission.

In addition, the federal government approved an increase in the enrolment system to 5,410 students.

“The decision to extend the deadline was taken in response to a request from stakeholders on the necessity to combine the enrolling and NIN-SIM verification processes in light of the country’s fast growth in the number of enrolment systems.

“A total of 5,410 enrolment systems are currently accessible across the country as of June 28, 2021, and this would greatly simplify the NIN enrolment procedure and subsequent SIM connection. It’s worth noting that, as of December 2020, there were only approximately 800 such enrollment systems,” it said.

The extension was authorized as part of the government’s aim to make it simpler for Nigerians and residents to get the NIN, with the government recommending that “it is vital to take advantage of the extension.”

It also revealed that there were 57.3 million unique NIN enrolments, with three to four SIMs per NIN on average.

According to the statement, “with a large number of enrolment centers around the nation, every citizen and legal resident should be able to get their NINs.”

“The federal government praises Nigerians for their patience and compliance with its directive on the NIN-SIM registration exercise,” Mr Pantami was reported as saying.

NCC executive vice-chairman Umar Dambatta and NIMC director-general Aliyu Azeez, according to the release, advised Nigerians and legal residents to take advantage of the opportunity to finish the enrollment and verification procedure.

President Muhammadu Buhari said in May that the NIN-SIM mandate will make it easier for the government to identify Nigerians, particularly criminals.

Nigeria’s terror-thrilled Mr Pantami has begun moves to obtain Nigerians’ mobile phone identification protocols from telecom networks, according to the Peoples Gazette, a move that could further expose citizens to the state’s concerted efforts to track and monitor phone users, particularly political opposition and critics.

According to the press release, NCC executive vice-chairman Umar Dambatta and NIMC director-general Aliyu Azeez urged Nigerians and legal residents to take advantage of the opportunity to complete the enrollment and verification process.

The NIN-SIM mission, according to President Muhammadu Buhari, would make it simpler for the government to identify Nigerians, particularly criminals.

According to the Peoples Gazette, Mr Pantami has began obtaining Nigerians’ mobile phone identifying methods from telecom networks, a step that might further expose individuals to the state’s systematic attempts to track and monitor phone users, mostly political opponents and critics.