Nigerians yet to register for NIN risk 14 years imprisonment – FG

Ali Isa Pantami, the Minister of communications and Digital Economy, says Nigerians who are yet to get their National Identification Number (NIN) risk up to 14 years imprisonment as stipulated by the Nigerian constitution.

Pantami disclosed in a State House briefing that while owning a Sim card is optional, the NIN is mandatory. This is because a lot of transactions are being made with the NIN.

He added that 51 million Nigerians had registered for their NIN as of March 31, 2021.

According to Pantami, there are 189 million Sim card users in Nigeria.

Out of this figure, he disclosed they 150 million have complete registrations while the remainder has issues with improper registration.

The Minister explained that NIN will determine the total number of Nigerians that have registered.

“Based on the requirement by law, each and every citizen and the legal resident must obtain his/her National Identification Number (NIN), which is being coordinated by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), ” he said.

“It’s a requirement by law but many citizens ignore it.

“No country will be successful in education, health, budget planning, or national planning without a database of its citizens in place.