By Chinenye Anuforo, [email protected]
Following the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) directive that mandated telecommunications companies in the country to block all SIM cards that are not registered with NIN December 30, the telcos have announced simple steps that subscribers can take to link their phone numbers NIN.
The Nigerian Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has also directed that subscribers can link their NIN to more than one sim card. This can be done by taking their NIN to the office of their service providers.
The commission 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.
However, some Nigerians who have the NIN are still unsure how to go about linking their phone numbers to the 11-digit number.
Here are the few steps to link your phone number with your NIN across the major networks at the comfort of your home or office.
For 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.
Alternatively, 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 and wait for feedback from the network.
For 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.
For Globacom users
Globacom disclosed at the weekend that subscribers could easily link their SIMs with NIN on their phones via a shortcode without visiting Gloworld outlets.
“All our esteemed customers can now link their National Identification Number (NIN) to their mobile numbers by simply sending ‘UPDATENIN NIN First Name and LastName’ to 109. For example, send ‘UPDATENIN 12345678903 Chidera Abdul-Ola’ to 109”, Globacom stated.
It explained that the measure was intended to make it easy and seamless for subscribers on its network to comply with the new directive by NCC and as part of its commitment to ensuring customers have uninterrupted access to its services.
Globacom also said that customers who do not have their NIN but have already registered with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) could dial *346# to retrieve it. It also advised customers without a NIN to visit a NIN enrollment centres to get one
For 9Mobile Users
9mobile has announced the launch of its intelligent portal for instant verification to help its customers link their SIM cards with their National Identification Number (NIN). The Online Self-Service NIN update portal www.9mobile.com.ng/nin, which has already gone live on the 9mobile website, enables subscribers to verify and update their NINs instantly.
The platform provides 9mobile subscribers an opportunity to submit and verify their NIN without physically visiting any of the experience centres across the nation.
This step is one of the several proactive initiatives taken by 9mobile to make the NIN linking exercise directed by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) seamless and stress-free for its subscribers.
Apart from the portal, 9mobile has also made available a USSD option *200*8# that allows subscribers to check the matching status of their NIN to their SIM and subsequently submit it for backend verification and mapping.