According to the subscribers, the decision would no doubt go a long way in reducing the large crowds that normally throng the NIMC offices on daily basis.

Speaking with press men on Wednesday, the National President of Association of Telephone, Cable TV and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS), Prince Sina Bilesanmi said the gesture was a welcome development as it is long overdue.

“I consider it good news that the NIMC has given the mobile network operators, MNO licences. I believe it would help in reducing the crowds as well the risk of people contracting COVID-19 especially against the manner in which Minister of Communications and Digital Economy (Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) has exposed our people in this period of pandemic.

“This is part of what we have been clamouring for that the NIN registration should be suspended considering the situation we are in whereby people are expected to strictly observe social distancing, but unfortunately the bid to beat the NIN registration deadline has made people to throw caution into the winds,” Bilesanmi submitted.

On Wednesday 27-01-2021 Director-General, NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, announced that some other private and public organisations had also been licensed by the commission to provide NINs in order to address the crowds at commission’s offices.

Responding to an enquiry as regards measures taken by NIMC with respect to complains by citizens and the crowds at the commission’s offices, Aziz said mobile network operators had been empowered to also give the identity numbers.

“We have licensed private and public sector organisations including telcos (telecommunications companies) so as to create more centres,” he stated.

However, while subscribers believe that with telecommunications firms set to be issuing out NINs, it would reduce the stress on NIMC staff nationwide, they have on the other hand raised another important poser about the safety of their personal data.

*According to the ATCIS National President, Prince Sina Bilesanmi, the federal government / MINC should compel the Association of Licensed Telecommunication* *Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) to ensure that personal data of subscribers are safe with its members ( telecom operators).*

Now that the government has decided to allow telecom operators and other private organisations to provide the NIN for Subscribers, we at ATCIS are saying that it is a good decision and we support it. But the question we need to ask is; how safe are the data being provided by subscribers?

*“We are raising this poser because there had been reported cases in the past whereby telecoms/ MNO’s staff connive with fraudsters by selling off their data to them for fraudulent activities.*

*“ALTON should assure ATCIS that subscribers’ NIN-data are safe with its members,” he said.*

*Basically, ensuring that the NINs issued to individuals are protected and kept safe from* *fraudsters cannot be over-emphasized as the NIN-SIM linkage is primarily for security purposes.*

Government believes that harmonising all phone numbers through the NIN will help curb rising cases of terrorism and banditry because most of the bad guys would have no option but to link their phone lines to the NIN or lose their numbers.

*This, government said, will definitely help to curtail and checkmate the lingering security challenges in some parts of the country.*

Speaking on the importance of ongoing NIN-SIM linkage, Pantami, had warned Nigerians to secure and protect their NINs, urging subscribers to desist from selling their NINs or allowing others to use their NINs for registration.

“For any act committed with the SIM, good or bad, it will be officially traced and attached to the NIN owner,” the Minister warned.

On December 15, 2020, the Federal Government had declared that after December 30, 2020, all SIMs that were not registered with valid NINs on the network of telecommunications companies would be blocked.

It later extended the December 30, 2020 deadline following ATCIS widespread opposition against the earlier announcement and gave three weeks’ extension for subscribers with NIN from December 30, 2020 to January 19, 2021.

It also gave six weeks’ extension for subscribers without NIN from December 30, 2020 to February 9, 2021, but many organisations had called for further deadline extension or outright suspension of the NIN registration process due to the large crowds who had yet to have their NINs.