The Federal Government has stated that the National Identity Number (NIN) is now mandatory for transactions such as the opening of bank accounts, payment of taxes, voter registration.
This was made known on Thursday in Abuja by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami.
He stated this while hosting the newly elected National Executive Council of the Association Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria (ATCN).
Speaking at the meeting, Isa Pantami said the federal government was determined to ensure that all citizens in Nigeria had their various NINs.
He said, “This is most important in the area of NIN, which is a mandatory number, based on the NIMC order of 2007 that has actively been neglected for years.
“It is key to our national planning, budget, security, social development and many more. But it was neglected despite being a mandatory number.”
“So we’ve come up with so many policies trying to ensure that our citizens obtain the number. It is important beyond SIM registration. It is important for whatever you do because it is the primary identity of our citizens.
“There’s no identity that will define you as a citizen more than that number. It is mandatory. And it is mandatory for transactions such as opening bank accounts, paying tax, voter registration and many more.”