FG announces deadline for Nigerians to link their NINs to their bank accounts

The federal government said it intends to set a deadline for Nigerians so they can link their national identification numbers (NINs) to their bank accounts.

Isa Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, told reporters after a meeting of the Federal Executive Council at the Statehouse in Abuja.

It turned out that the NIN will be used instead of the bank verification number (BVN), since the latter is not protected by law.

Last year, Panatami set a timeframe from December 16 to 30 last year as the deadline for telephone subscribers to bind their Subscriber Identity Module, also known as SIM cards, to their NINs. Otherwise the SIM cards will be disabled.

Following an outcry from Nigerians over the timing of the directive, which led to a flock of subscribers at several National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) registration centers across the country in violation of COVID-19 protocols, the National Task Force on the National Identity Number (NIN) and SIM registration maps provided a different extension.

NIN subscribers are granted a three week extension from December 30, 2020 to January 19, 2021; six-week extension for non-NIN subscribers from December 30, 2020 to February 9, 2021.

However, the federal government has extended the deadline to April 6, 2021.