FG extends deadline for NIN update |see new date

The federal government has on Monday, 21th December extended the deadline for the provision of National Identification Number by telecommunication service subscribers to 19th January and 9th February 2021 respectively.

FG made this known in a statement titled: ‘Extension of Registration Period and Cancellation of USSD and Verification Fees’, signed by the Executive Vice-Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission, Umar Danbatta; and Director-General, National Identity Management Commission, Aliyu Aziz.

Part of the statement read: “The National Task Force on National Identification Number and SIM Registration met today, 21st December, 2020.

“The meeting was chaired by the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Ali Pantami with major stakeholders in the sector including Chairman – NCC, EVC-NCC, DG-NITDA, DG-NIMC, ECTS/ECSM-NCC, Chairman ALTON, CEOs of MTN, Airtel, Ntel, Glo, Smile, and 9Moble in attendance.

“Based on the endorsement of the Federal Government of Nigeria, the following resolutions were made:
“Three (3) weeks extension for subscribers with NIN from 30th December, 2020 to 19th January, 2021; and
“Six (6) weeks extension for subscribers without NIN from 30th December, 2020 to 9th February, 2021.”

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

It warned that any telecom operators that failed to comply with the directive risked outright withdrawal of its licence or heavy penalty.

A statement on Tuesday by the Director of Public Affairs of the NCC, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, noted that “following the earlier directive on the suspension of new SIM registration by network operators, the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) convened an urgent meeting of key stakeholders in the Communications industry on Monday, December 14, 2020.”

Kemi Filani News reports this is coming less than a week after the NCC had ordered telecommunications companies to halt the sale and activation of Subscriber Identification Module (SIM).