The National Identification Number (NIN) has been on the lips of a lot of Nigerians for several weeks now, following the declaration by the Federal Government that SIM Cards without an NIN will be blocked.

This led a lot of Nigerians to scramble to get their NIN, as they queued in front of National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) offices just to get their National Identification Numbers. Initially, the deadline for the linkage between the NIN and the SIM cards was in early February, but due to a lot of backlash from angry Nigerians, the deadline was moved.

However, Isa Pantami, the Minister Of Communications and Digital Economy, as reported by The Nation Newspapers at the end of an FEC (Federal Executive Council) meeting earlier today, has declared that Nigerians will soon have to link their National Identification Number (NIN) to their bank accounts. He also stated this is because, the Bank Verification Number is not recognised by the law, while the National Identification Number is backed by the law.

He also stated that the deadline for Nigerians to link their National Identification Number to their Bank Accounts will soon be communicated to the general public by the communications ministry. However unlike the case of the NIN and SIM card linkage, a consequence for those that refuse to link their bank accounts has not been announced. This is coming some days after it was announced that the National Identification Number would replace the Bank Verification Number because the BVN is meant for account holders with several banks while the NIN is meant for all Nigerians without minding their status.