The Nigerian Communications Commission has warned that the more than 40 million telephone lines, which were barred due to failure to link with National Identity Numbers, are at risk of being forfeited in the near future.
To avoid this, here are steps of the retrieval process as described by the NCC’s Director of Publicity.
1. For subscribers who have not registered for their NIN, get your SIM registered at accredited centres across the country.
2. Then link the NIN with your SIM through channels provided by your service provider.
3. For subscribers with registered NINs, simply visit your service provider centre and present the NIN or link your SIM through channels provided by your service providers.
4. But if you have NIN but it was forgotten, retrieve your NIN conveniently using your mobile phone by dialling *346# to get the number.
5. From the options displayed, select “NIN Retrieval”, by typing in ‘1’, if you are using the same phone number you enrolled with for your NIN.
6. Follow the steps displayed on your screen and provide the required inputs.
7. Note that using this service attracts a N20 fee only (deducted from your phone airtime balance).
8. However, the four Mobile Network Operators in the country have designated certain USSD codes for seamless and quick linkage of your NIN and your SIM cards.
They are as follows:
– For MTN Customers
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.
– For Glo Customers
-Simply send “UPDATENIN NIN FirstName and LastName” to 109.
– For Airtel Customers
Just dial *121*1# now to link.
– For 9Mobile Customers
Dial *200*8# and follow the prompts on your phone screen.
