Experts: Making NIN Mandatory for SIM Registration Will Deepen Industry Trust

The recent order given by the federal government that SIM card registration and issuance of international passports, must be linked to registration of National Identity Number (NIN), has been described as a welcome development that will address the true state of identity of Nigerians.

The order has made it mandatory for all Nigerians to first register with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to obtain a NIN before they could apply for a new SIM card and for issuance and re-issuance of international passports.

The CEO, VerifyMe Nigeria, an identity management and work history reporting platform, Mr. Esigie Aguele, who commended the National Communication Commission (NCC) on the mandatory NIN for SIM card registration, said although it would put additional pressure on Nigerians, the order would go a long way in addressing the issue of falsification of identities during SIM card registrations.

According to him, falsification of identities had led to the rise in kidnapping, where families of kidnapped victims are often contacted through phone numbers to pay ransoms for the freedom of the kidnapped.

NCC gave the directive at the just concluded conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), which it explained was part of efforts “towards engendering the security of lives and property for the economic development of the country.”

Aguele noted that integrating NIN into the SIM registration process was a welcome development as it would enhance growth in both the ID verification and telecommunications industries by deepening trust among stakeholders across the value chain.

He said:“The NCC directive demonstrates that identity management is the foundation of sustainable security that will promote growth in all industries by increase customer throughput and reducing costs to acquire customers during on-boarding. VerifyMe in anticipation of NCC’ actions has an available platform for all Telco’s to fit into their customer acquisition process.

“With a population of about 190 million, the number of active telephone lines in the country