US visa ban: Nigeria To Enforce NIN For Issuance Of SIM Card From June 2021

Nigeria is set to make the provision of National Identification Number (NIN) compulsory for use of phone numbers.

This is consequent upon the visa restrictions slammed on the country by the United States.

Mohammed Manga, the Director of Public Relations, Ministry of Interior, made this known in a statement on Thursday.

He said the Committee on Citizens Data Management and Harmonisation suggested mandatory use of NIN by all Mobile Network Operations (MNOs) for issuance of Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) aka SIM card.

The spokesman announced that this will take effect from June 30, 2021.

The committee recommended exclusive storage of Biometric data in the National identity Database.

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It advised the discontinuance of biometric data storage of new registration by all agencies and institutions.

Also the National Population Commission (NPC) is to commence the digital birth, death and other vital registrations (marriage, divorce, adoption, etc) at its offices and all hospitals.

The ministry said Nigeria has substantially provided information on travelers’ identity, except data on Emergency Travel Certificates for citizens being repatriated.

It confirmed that information on 145,695 Lost and Stolen Passports had been transmitted to the INTERPOL Database as at 31st May 2020.