It is no more news that the Nigerian Federal government (through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC)) has ordered telecommunications operators in the country to block all SIM cards that are not registered with the National Identity Numbers (NIN), within two weeks.
The two weeks, from the day of the announcement of the directive, lapses on the 30th of December, 2020.
This means that, any SIM card that is not linked with the user’s NIN, would be subjected to disconnection from the respective service provider.
The announcement created an outcry from the public, with concerns about the inconveniences that would come with registration and linkage, coupled with the global covid-19 pandemic currently on the rise in the country.
The Nigerian Identity Management Commission (NIMC), which is the overseeing body for the NIN, has said that the public could link their NIN through their service provider.
NIMC also said that more than one SIM card can be linked to one NIN.
To link your line with your NIN, follow these steps:
Airtel users
Method 1:
- Dial *121# on the Airtel number you wish to link.
- Select 1 (Capture NIN).
- Enter the 11 digit NIN.
Method 2:
Glo Users
Send “UPDATENIN NIN FirstName and LastName” to 109.
Check the image below for example.
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MTN users
Method 1:
Dial *785# on the MTN number you wish you link. Then, enter your NIN when prompted to.
Method 2
Dial *785*NIN#
Make sure you dial the short code from the number you wish to link to your NIN.
Method 3:
Visit https://mtnonline.com/nin/ and fill the form.
Method 4:
Use the myMTNapp.
9Mobile users
Method 1:
Dial *200*8# from the 9mobile number you wish to link.
Method 2:
Visit https://9mobile.com.ng/nin and provide the necessary information.
Note that if you have already registered for NIN with NIMC, but you have lost the 11 digit NIN, you can retrieve the number by dialing *346#. The service costs ₦20, and is available on Airtel, Glo, MTN, and 9mobile.
Perhaps, you are not yet enrolled for NIN, you can visit https://www3.nimc.gov.ng/nimc-enrolment-centres to find a centre near you, and get started.
Good luck.