NIN enrolment rises sequel to ban on phone use without SIM-NIN linkage
By Jeph Ajobaju, Chief Copy Editor
Enrolment on the National Identity Data Base (NIDB) of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has risen to 82.73 million, spurred by the desire of Nigerians to keep on using their phones.
However, even after obtaining a National Identity Number (NIN), getting it linked with a Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) is traumatic for many phone users.
NIMC officials create chaos and cash in on it by demanding bribe of between N3,000 and N4,000 to do their job.
Abuja on 4 April finally enforced its order for telecom operators to bar SIMs not linked with NINs from originating calls – after several postponements of the deadline for the linkage.
Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) data shows that over 72 million phone lines without SIM-NIN linkage were barred from making calls when the order came into effect.
Enrolment Dashboard on the NIMC website confirms 82.73 million ‘unique records’ of enrolment with nearly equal distribution North and South. Enrolment in Lagos tops all states.
Males have 46,564,578 SIM-NIN linkages countrywide, females 36,173,574.
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Top 10 states
According to NIMC data, per reporting by The Nation, the top 10 states of NIN enrolment are:
- Lagos – 9,487,186
- Kano – 6,929,287
- Kaduna – 4,851,793
- Ogun – 3,448,222
- Oyo – 3,388,963
- FCT/Abuja – 3,022,809
- Katsina – 2,653,563
- Rivers – 2,523,712
- Delta – 2,250,218
- Niger – 2,147,100
Bottom 10 states
The bottom 10 states of NIN enrolment are:
- Akwa Ibom – 1,462,559
- Imo – 1,408,571
- Enugu – 1,369,433
- Zamfara – 1,349,946
- Yobe – 1,216,125
- Taraba – 1,207,416
- Cross River – 935,544
- Ekiti – 915,982
- Ebonyi – 670,403
- Bayelsa – 541,516
NIMC officials demand bribe for SIM-NIN linkage
Linking a SIM with a NIN is problematic with allegations of extortion by NIMC contractors who do data capturing.
There is also slow integration of subscriber information transmitted to the NIMC server, thus delaying response time for linkage.
Some phone users told The Nation their lines remain barred four weeks after getting their NINs. Those who demand explanation from the NIMC are asked to pay bribe to expedite their SIM-NIN validation.
“I was told I may remain bared for the next four months if I don’t pay N4,000 to get the validation done.
“It’s so very painful that weeks after I have obtained the NIN after paying N2,500, I have not been able to originate calls from my number and this is affecting my business terribly,” lamented Iya Philip, a single parent.
