FEDERAL GOVERNMENT EXTENDS THE DEADLINE FOR NINs LINK TO FEBRUARY 9, 2021

The Federal Government has extended the deadline for millions of Nigerians unable to link their National Identity Numbers -NINs with subscriber Identity Module, SIM cards to February 9, 2021.

The initial deadline has expired on January 19, 2021.

Mobile Network Operators said the Federal Government granted a further extension of the deadline to allow subscribers yet to synchronize their SIMs with their NINs to do so.

They also promised to start enrolling citizens to National Identity Database NIBs of the National Identity Management Commission NIMc to ease the frustration, desperation and extortion of people by desiring to get enrolled and get their NIMs by unscrupulous elements.

The MNOs acting under the aegis of the Association of licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria in a statement by its Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo said it had received confirmation of the deadline extension from the Nigerian Communications Commission.

 The NCC said only 47.8 million SIMs were successfully linked between December 16, 2020 and January 19, 2021 with total active telephone lines currently standing at 208 million, some 160.2 million are yet to be linked while millions are yet to be enrolled into the NIDB to get their NINs.