Telecom consumers have been urged to ensure that they get registered at the National Identification Management Commission, NIMC enrolment centers, and get their National Identification Numbers before October 31 last day of next month which serves as the deadline.
At the Telecom Consumer Town Hall meeting on NCC Digital Signature a flagship radio program of the Nigerian Communications Commission, the Director Public Affairs in NC, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde said people without NIN will be denied to acquisition of drivers license, international passport.
He advised Nigerians to make use of this window of opportunities to enroll with NIMC get their NIN and link it to their Sims before the end of next month.
Dr Adinde said Nigerians are under obligation to register for NIN and link it to their Subscriber Identification Module, SIM, cards.
He said NIN-SIM integration would enhance national security and citizen’s access to government services as the primary Identity database for citizens.
In a remark, the Director Consumer Affairs Bureau of the NCC, Mr Effosa Idehen noted that most Nigerians have not linked their NIN to their Sims as a result are using SIMS without unique identification.
He pointed out that those Sims without unique identification could be used to commit crimes that remain untraceable and security should be the responsibility of all citizens and should not be left in the hands of the government alone.
Mr. Effosa charged Nigerians to discourage and kick against any form of false registration by some people who give false information when registering their SIMs.
The Regional Director NIMC Lagos, Mrs. Funmi Opesanwo said that submission of NIN to a mobile network provider helps in providing a means of verifying an individual’s identity and safeguarding both Identity and mobile line.
She explained that BVN was being harmonized with NIMC, therefore BVN holders have automatically been allocated NIN and advised BVN holders to dial *346# with the mobile number linked to BVN.
Mrs. Opesanwo however noted that NINs generated via BVN must be verified and validated by NIMC.
The NCC Telecom Consumer Townhall on Radio under the NCC digital signature program was attended by some network operators.
All the service providers acknowledged that they were now registering people to ensure more Nigerians are captured.
RN