The Federal Government has approved the extension of the NIN-SIM verification deadline to June 30, 2021.

This was contained in a statement signed by the Director of Public Affairs of the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, and the Head, Corporate Communications, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Mr Kayode Adegoke.

According to the statement, the decision was made at the virtual meeting held by stakeholders in the Telecommunication industries and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

The postponement of the deadline was also based on the request by stakeholders for an extension till 30th of June in order to make it easier for all citizens and legal residents to register.

The stakeholders report that the enrolment exercise has witnessed significant achievements with over 54 million people having obtained their NIN. This translates to up to 190 Million mobile numbers, since empirical evidence suggests that each unique NIN maps to 3 to 4 phone lines.

Speaking on the development, the chairman of the stakeholders and Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Alli Pantami, appreciated Nigerians for their patience and compliance with the Federal Government’s directive on the NIN SIM registration exercise.

He again reiterated the government’s commitment to continually taking decisions aimed at easing the pains of the citizens with regard to issues related to NIN and SIM registration.