Officials in Nigeria are confident the country will meet the newly imposed 9 February 2021 deadline for the completion of the NIN (National Identity Number)-SIM card integration project.

Media outlets have quoted a statement attributed to Dr. Ikechukwu Adinde, Director, Public Affairs, at the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) which stated that 47.8 million NINs have been collected by mobile operators.

According to the statement:“At an average of three to four SIMs per subscriber, this means many millions will be linked up before the deadline in February 2021.”

Officials say the NIN-SIM linkage project is nearing its success, however the figures do not include those per MNO.

ITWeb Africa has reported that the government was still facing several challenges with the process, including a cloned NIMC (National Identity Management Commission) app, and fear of mass disconnection of subscriber phone lines.

In early January 2021, the NCC issued a statement in response to speculation of disconnection of lines.

The statement reads: ““Most of these publications are based on the erroneous assumption that for every network or SIM connection, there is one unique human subscriber. However, with the advent of social media and app-driven digital environment, network subscription went beyond human subscribers to include machines like PoS, Routers, Wi-Fi devices, electricity meters, CCTV, tracking devices etc.”

Officials have also commented on increasing numbers of people at registration centres, for which authorities have been criticised for placing people in harm’s way amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Dr Isa Ali Pantami, Nigeria’s Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, blamed the subscribers for “visiting in huge crowds without an invitation.”

Media outlets report that officials say the crowds gathering for NIMC registration are not only mobile subscribers and include people applying for licences, vehicle ownership etc.