NIN mandatory for bank accounts, voter registration, says FG
The National Identity Number is mandatory for transactions such as the opening of bank accounts, payment of taxes, voters registration, the Federal Government said on Thursday.
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, said this in Abuja while hosting the newly elected National Executive Council of the Association Telecommunications Companies of Nigeria.
This came as operators called on the Federal Government to support in development of a strategic plan to bridge the over N15trn infrastructure funding gap for the telecoms/information communication and technology industry.
In his address at the meeting, Pantami told his guests that the government was determined to ensure that all citizens in Nigeria had their various NINs.
He said, “This is most importantly in the area of NIN, which is a mandatory number, based on the NIMC order of 2007.
“It is key to our national planning, budget, security, social development and many more. But it was neglected despite being a mandatory number”.
He added, “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 is no identity that will define you as a citizen more than that number. It is mandatory.
Pantami urged operators in the sector to work with the government ensuring that all citizens in Nigeria had the NIN.
He insisted that the number would benefit the country economically, as the contributions of the telecom sector to Nigeria’s Gross Domestic Product would further increase.
