Telecommunication operators have bowed to the pressure of migrating to the Virtual NIN platform.
They have begun preparations and server configuration to the virtual platform as their activities are still grounded by a glitch in the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) portal.
This is coming about nine days after a protracted standoff with NIMC over the implementation of the vNIN platform.
The NIMC spokesperson in a chat with reporters had faulted telcos for refusing to migrate to the virtual NIN platform as directed by the commission.
In a recent development, a source at an MTN outlet in Lagos confirmed to our correspondent that sequel to a series of meetings, preparations and arrangements were in the offing to migrate to the vNIN platform to resume the provision of SIM-related services that has been grounded for more than a week.
The source said, “We’ve been having meetings. Our system was created to use search by NIN. Now we have to upgrade our systems to be able to search in vain. That’s the meeting we’ve been having.
“The NIMC-improved NIN slip is the one that has a barcode, but we still need to be able to put it in the portal on our system. That’s what they are working on. We are trying to enable our system to be able to create the option of vNIN. What we have is a search by document ID.
“There is no search by vNIN. There are other ways that we are also trying and some stores have been able to successfully do swap today but it’s for customers that have already linked their line (to their NIN). By tomorrow’s meeting, I believe we will finalise it.”
Meanwhile, MTN Nigeria announced to its customers on Wednesday that they would now be required to provide their Virtual NIN or the improved NIN slip for all SIM-related services.
