The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami says he will soon announce the timeline for Nigerians to link their National Identity Numbers (NINs) with their bank accounts.
Pantami who disclosed this while he spoke with State House Correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting on Wednesday, said the timelines for the mandatory linking of the NIN to bank accounts would soon be released.
The minister had also said NIN would replace the Bank Verification Number (BVN) because the latter was not backed by law.
Panatami had last year set between December 16 and 30, last year as timeline for telephone subscribers to link their Subscriber Identity Module (SIMs) with NINs. The government had warned that ‘violations of this directive will be met by stiff sanctions, including the possibility of withdrawal of operating licence’.
Following an outcry from various quarters of the country over the timing of the directive which had led to subscribers crowding at the few registration centres of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) across the country in disregard to the protocols of COVID-19, the National Task Force on National Identification Number (NIN) and SIM registration granted another extension.
Three weeks’extension was granted for subscribers with NIN from December 30, 2020 to January 19, 2021; six- week extension for subscribers without NIN from December 30, 2020 to February 9, 2021.
The Federal Government finally gave a new deadline April 6, 2021.
