Over 51 million Nigerians have now been enrolled for the National Identity Number (NIN).
Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Aliyu Pantami, disclosed this at the sixth edition of the ministerial briefing organised by the Presidential Media Team, at the Presidential Villa, Abuja, on Thursday.
He said registration for NIN is not optional, but a mandate by law, warning that failure to enroll precludes defaulting citizens and residents from operating certain functions like using banks and communication services.
He also warned that failure to obtain the NIN could lead to between seven or 14-years imprisonment as stipulated by the Nigerian Constitution, no one should enjoy government services without the number.
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He said rather than a population census that can be manipulated, NIN will determine the accurate number of Nigerians because of its uniqueness and tamper-proof.
He also disclosed that about 189 million Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) have been registered in the country, explaining that 150 million, out of this number, are completed registration while the remainder has problems of improper registration.
He said the improper registration has posed a challenge that the government is currently dealing with.
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