| The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, has declared openly the Federal Government’s agendas to publish a deadline for Nigerians to connect their bank accounts to their National Identity Numbers (NINs). After the Federal Executive Council gathering at the statehouse in Abuja, Pantami announced this to newsmen. He disclosed that the Bank Verification Number (BVN) would be replaced by the NIN because the latter was not endorsed by legislation. Previous year, Panatami set the timeline for telephone subscribers to link their Subscriber Identity Module aka SIM cards with their NINs between December 16 and 30, last year. Negligence to do so will deactivate the SIM cards. The National Task Force on National Identification Number (NIN) and SIM registration gave another extension following an uproar by Nigerians over the timing of the directive that had led to subscribers crowding at the few National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) registration centres across the country in violation of the COVID-19 protocols. A three-week addition was given for NIN subscribers from 30 December 2020 to 19 January 2021, while a six-week addition was given for non-NIN subscribers from 30 December 2020 to 9 February 2021. The Federal Government, however, has extended the deadline further to April 6, 2021.
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