The federal government has extended the deadline for the provision of valid National Identification Number, NIN, to update SIM registration records in the country.
The announcement was made on Monday in a statement issued by the Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy.
While subscribers with NIN will enjoy an extension of three weeks, those without NIN will have additional six weeks to update their SIM registration.
The statement titled, ‘Extension of Registration Period and Cancellation of USSD and Verification Fees,’ signed by the Executive Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, NCC, Umar Danbatta, and Director-General, National Identity Management Commission, Aliyu Aziz, reads in part:
“The National Task Force on National Identification Number and SIM Registration met today, 21st December, 2020.
“The meeting was chaired by the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami with major stakeholders in the sector including Chairman – NCC, EVC-NCC, DG-NITDA, DG-NIMC, ECTS/ECSM-NCC, Chairman ALTON, CEOs of MTN, Airtel, Ntel, Glo, Smile, and 9Moble in attendance.
“Based on the endorsement of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the following resolutions were made:
“Three (3) weeks extension for subscribers with NIN from 30th December, 2020 to 19th January, 2021; and
“Six (6) weeks extension for subscribers without NIN from 30th December, 2020 to 9th February, 2021.”
The federal government had last week given all telecommunications companies in the country 14 days to require all their subscribers to provide valid National Identification Number, NIN, to update SIM registration records.
SIM cards not registered with NIN, at the end of the exercise, will be blocked, it said.
The 14 days period given was to frun from December 16 to December 30, 2020, before it was on Monday extended.
Failure of the network providers to comply, the government had said, would attract very stiff sanctions.
