How to Link your National Identity Number (NIN) to your Phone Number

Your National Identity Number is an 11-digit unique number which identifies you for life. It is issued by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) after enrolment and issuance of the National e-ID card on the NIMC Pre Enrolment portal. It is used to tie all records about an individual in the database and verifies your identity.

In a new directive from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to all network operators in Nigeria, all subscribers are to update their SIM registration records by providing a valid National Identification Number. What is even more interesting to note is that the directive comes with a two-weeks deadline starting from 16 December, 2020 and it is expected to end by 30 December, 2020. This means that after this date, SIM cards that have not been registered or updated with the National Identity Numbers (NIN) will be blocked or disconnected. 

With this new development, network operators have come up with various ways to enable subscribers easily link their NIN to their SIM cards. The Nigerian Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has also informed that subscribers can link their NIN number to more than one sim card.

Unfortunately, some Nigerians are still unsure how to go about this. 

So, here are a few steps on how to link your NIN to your phone number(s);

For GLO Subscribers

• Send an SMS with “UPDATENIN space NIN space FIRSTNAME space LASTNAME to 109. For example, "UPDATENIN 12345678901 Abimbola Mukhtar" to 109

Or

• You can visit the website https://www.gloworld.com/ng/nin/ to fill out the form. Your NIN will be verified against the NIMC database and they will contact you for re-validation if there are any issues with the verification.

For MTN Subscribers

• Dial *785# from the phone number you wish to link and enter your 11-digit NIN Number and submit

Or 

• Dial *785#YourNIN# from the phone number you wish to link. The number will be linked to your NIN automatically

Or

• Visit their website https://mtnonline.com/nin/ to fill the form using your phone or computer. Note that you will be informed by a notice stating that NINs submissions received are unverified pending when they have been validated against the NIMC database. 

• Go ahead to fill the form by entering your names, phone number, NIN and email address.

• After submission, you will receive an otp sent to your phone to complete the process.

For AIRTEL Subscribers

• Dial *121*1# to follow prompt message

Or

• Dial *121# on the Airtel line you wish to link

• Type 1 for “NIN Capture” and send

• You will be requested to type 1 again to enter 11-digit NIN number

• Enter your 11-digit NIN and send. Wait for message confirming your submission. If you get an error message, try again until you are successful.

Or

• Visit Airtel website on https://www.airtel.com.ng/nin 

• Enter the mobile number you wish to link and click “SEND OTP”

• Type the OTP you receive in the space below to confirm your number

• Then enter your 11-digit NIN number 

• Click Submit

If you have registered for the National Identity Card and you are yet to confirm your NIN number, you can dial *346# on any network to retrieve your NIN number. You can also use this code to confirm if your NIN number has been successfully linked to your phone number. This service used to cost N20, but it is now FREE as the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy ordered all network operators and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to cancel the fee. 

For subscribers who have not yet enrolled for their National Identity Card, they can fill the Pre-Enrolment Online form from NIMC portal, download and print your Pre Enrolment Slip and take to the nearest NIMC Registration Centre for verification, capture of biometrics, and collection of Transaction ID Slip. It is advised you do so immediately.