NCC’s 2020 TLAs: NINs for SIMs

Updated Jan 8th – see below.

Nigeria’s Communications Commission seems to be trying to tighten up registration details for mobile phone users.

Already when you buy a SIM you need to register it (photo, lots of details, fingerprints) before it works but now there’s a panic about requiring everyone to submit their National/Nigerian Identity Number (NIN) to be linked to their SIM possibly by today 30 December or else the phone companies will be compelled to cancel the line.

Obviously there have been protests about this. According to reports on PRTV, the deadline may be delayed. (Update: it was.) It’s not clear what validation about the number goes on, so if you are worried about this then submitting some plausible number may be adequate for now. It’s not clear to me what foreigners are supposed to submit. (See update below.) Perhaps covid-19 has left some administrators with a little too much time on their hands and they needed to be seen to be doing something with their power.

January 8 Update

Here was the original instruction from NCC:

It looks like MTN are not registering new SIMs at the moment until the blocking and checking of SIMs without NINs is sorted out:

It seems non-Nigerians can get NINs on the basis of BVN (Bank Verification Number), Driving Licence and/or foreign passport.

• You can download and fill in the NIN registration form here.
• Enrolment explanation here.
• Apparently there’s a strike on at the moment so you can’t get it done.
• Plateau State enrolment centres are here:

Use the comments below to report which centres have worked for you and how long you had to wait. That will help others.

Enrolment copy:

Supporting Documents

Walk into the nearest NIMC Enrolment Centre with your BVN if you have one and any of the following required Original and Valid supporting documents:

1. Old National ID Card
2. Driver’s License
3. Voter’s card (Temporary or Permanent)
4. Nigerian International passport
5. Certificate of Origin
6. Attestation letter from a prominent ruler in your community
7. Birth certificate
8. Declaration of age
9. Attestation letter from religious/traditional leader
10. NHIS ID card
11. Government staff ID card
12. Registered/recognized private organization staff ID card
13. School ID Card (private/public)
14. Tax Clearance certificate
15. Valid immigration documents

Process for capturing applicants of 16 years and above (Adult Enrolment):

• Applicant walks into the enrolment Centre with a supporting document.
• Applicant will be verified to ascertain if he/she has ever enrolled using the NIN verification portal.
• Applicant will be issued an enrolment form to fill if he/she has not enrolled before. OR the printed Barcode slip will be collected if the applicant had pre-enrolled earlier using the pre-enrolment service.
• Applicant’s forms will be vetted by a NIMC Official to crosscheck the information filled on the form against the supporting document provided and to check for errors/mistake filled on the form. Note: applicants who cannot read nor write should be accompanied by a literate individual who can do the form filling for him/her.
• Applicant’s pre-filled information will be inputted on the NIMC Software by a NIMC enrolment officer or the Barcode slip will be scanned by the NIMC enrolment officer to populate all the required field.
• The enrolment officer will ask the applicant to double check his/her information for errors using the applicant monitor.
• If the applicant is satisfied with his/her demographic information, the biometrics (ten finger prints and facial image) of the applicant will be capture subsequently.
• After completing the enrolment, a Transaction ID Slip will be issued to the applicant as an evidence of the transaction. However, the Transaction slip does not confer the right to National Identification Number. The applicant will be requested to come back for the NIN within 1-5 working days, as it is subjected to availability of network, authentication and verification.
• A National Identification Number (NIN) Slip is issued to the applicants after processing.
• The National e-ID Card will be Issued to applicant within 12months after Issuance of NIN barring any unforeseen circumstances.

Service Fee: ENROLMENT IS FREE

Availability: Monday – Friday (8a.m. to 4 p.m.)