Steps To Link Your Phone Numbers To NIN

Telecommunications operators over the weekend barred approximately 40 million telephone lines following the expiration of the Nigerian Communications Commission‘s (NCC) February 28, 2024 deadline.

This action was in compliance with the NCC’s mandate for all telecom consumers to link their Subscriber Identity Modules (SIMs) with their National Identity Numbers (NIN), marking a significant increase from the 12 million telephone lines initially targeted for deactivation.

The NCC, in a notice dated December 2023, had instructed telecommunications companies to disable all SIMs that were not linked to the respective owners’ NINs by the end of February 2024.

The regulatory body emphasized the importance of this linkage in enhancing national security and digital identity verification processes.

The NCC Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Mouka, confirmed on Thursday that there would be no extension of the deadline.

He also indicated that telecommunications operators failing to meet the deadline for deactivating unlinked SIMs would face sanctions.

For telecom consumers who have yet to link their SIMs with their NINs, the Nigerian Identity Management Commission (NIMC) offers a solution through the NIMC Personal Identity digital application.

Here are steps to follow to link your sim with NIN:

– Download the NIMC Personal Identity application on Google Store or Apple Store.

– Downloading the application will give you access to link up about 28 mobile numbers to your NIN.

– Input your 11-digit NIN to continue on the NIMC personal Identity page for the linkage.

– If you do not know your NIN, retrieve it by dialling *346# on the mobile number provided during the registration or supply your first name, middle name, surname and date of birth in the information box provided by the app to search the NIN.

– After proceeding with providing the NIN in the box, it will proceed to confirm your number.

– If the number found linked to your NIN is not that known, indicate that you want to use another number in the options provided.

– Provide the number and you will immediately get an SMS containing a token to proceed.

– If you don’t get an OTP, dial *364*2*NIN#
You will receive an SMS containing your UserID and OTP.

– You will then input the OTP after which you will be taken to your identity platform which will show your UserID and NIN info with a picture.

– There’s an icon that will show that you can link your numbers, click on it and add your numbers.

– Another OTP will be sent to the number(s) you want to link, input it and it will be linked.