How to link your phone number with NIN

Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has given telecommunications operators in the country two weeks to block all SIM cards that are not registered with the National Identity Numbers (NIN).

Failure to do so will lead to your line being blocked or disconnected by the 31st of December 2020. However, to avoid going into a new year with a blocked sim, please read through this article carefully.

What is NIN?

NIN is a set of eleven digits assigned to an individual, by The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), upon successful enrolment.

Enrolment consists of the recording of an individual’s demographic data and capture of the ten (10) fingerprints, head-to-shoulder facial picture, and digital signature.

The information is used to cross-check existing data in the National Identity Database to confirm that there is no previous entry of the same data.

How to Get your NIN?
If you have registered for your NIN, you should have your slip with you.

However, if you have misplaced it, you have to pay N500 through REMITA at any bank nearest to you; provide your Remita Teller to any NIMC Enrolment Centre (ERC) near you and request for a NIN slip print.

Alternatively, you can use the NIMC USSD service to retrieve it by following these steps:

Dial *346#; from the options displayed, select “NIN Retrieval”, by typing in ‘1’, if you are using the same phone number you enrolled with for your number.

Follow the steps displayed on your screen and provide the required inputs

Note: Using this service attracts N20 (twenty naira) fee-only (deducted from your phone credit balance).

However, Glo users might encounter some difficulties, a message from the service provider at about 10: 53 am today stated that their subscribers would not be able to retrieve NIN for now:

The message reads: “The code to verify your NIN is *346 on the registered mobile number. This service cost N20. However, you would be unable to retrieve your NIN on Glo for now. Sorry for this inconvenience.”

How to Link Your Phone Number With Your NIN

Linking your phone number to your number is very easy.

For MTN users, simply dial *785# and get it done in few seconds.

Airtel – Dial 1211#

Glo – text REG to 746

You can also visit the nearest office of your service provider (be it MTN, Glo, 9mobile, and Airtel) to register/link your NIN.

Just go along with NIN and your SIM pack. If you do not have your SIM pack, you probably should be prepared to swear an affidavit.

We have also taken time to do a detailed explanation on how to link your phone number with NIN MTN, Airtel nd other networks below.

Here are a few steps to link your phone number with your NIN;

MTN users

• To link your NIN, simply dial *785# using the phone number you wish to link, enter your NIN and submit or;
• Dial *785#Your NIN# from the phone number you wish to link. The number will be linked to your NIN automatically.
• Visit https://mtnonline.com/nim/using your phone or computer.
• Complete the NIN linking form by entering your name, phone number, NIN, and email address.
• Submit the form as soon as you’re done.
• Wait for feedback from the network.

Airtel Users

To link your NIN to your Airtel phone number, follow the steps below:

• Dial *121# on the Airtel line you wish to link.
• Type 1 for “NIN Capture” and send.
• Enter your 11-digit NIN and send.
• Wait for the message confirming your submission. If you get an error, just wait for some time and try again.

Other networks (Glo and 9mobile)

• For the other networks, you simply visit the nearest office of your service provider (Glo or 9mobile) to register/link your NIN.
• Go with NIN and your SIM pack or call the customer care line of your service provider.
• 9mobile said it is making effort to develop a system that would make things simple for its customers. You can check your NIN status by dialling *346# from your 9mobile line.

What you should know

• It can be recalled that following the directive of NCC to telecommunication operators on 2-week ultimatum to disconnect sim cards not registered with NIN; the NIMC warned the general public to beware of fraudsters and scammers who are on the prowl to swindle unsuspecting people.
• NIMC said that Nigerians already enrolled in the NIMC scheme but have lost their NIN should dial *346# to retrieve the NIN. It also said that USSD code is available on MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9mobile.

And @MTN180 told me to visit @nimc_ng office to add my other sim number ? https://t.co/zDYaW8a19p

— Femi Ajenifuja (@femi_ajenifuja) December 17, 2020