The Nigerian Communications Commission says the October 31 deadline for linking their National Identity Numbers with their Subscriber Identity Modules remains sacrosanct.

It also said that Nigerians without NIN would soon be denied the opportunity of acquiring driving licences and passports.

The commission said at the NCC Digital Signature radio programme, which transmitted the second episode of Telecoms Consumer Town Hall on Radio (live on a radio station in Lagos to discuss benefits of NIN-SIM integration.

This was disclosed in a statement titled ‘NIN-SIM Integration: NCC sensitises telecom consumers on October 31 Deadline’ signed by NCC’s Director of Public Affairs, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, on Wednesday.

The statement read, “NCC has reminded and urged telecoms consumers to link their NINs with their SIMs before the expiration of the deadline of October 31, 2021 set by the Federal Government.”

It added, “Speaking during the live programme, Director, Public Affairs, NCC, Dr Ikechukwu Adinde, advised Nigerians to make use of the extension of the NIN-SIM integration exercise to October 31, 2021, to enrol with NIMC, get their NINs and link them to their SIMs.”

Adinde said, “Soon, people without NIN will be denied of necessary services that play vital roles in their lives including acquisition of driving licence, passport.”

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The statement further said, “On the benefits of the NIN-SIM integration, Adinde said the exercise will significantly enhance national security as NIN is the primary identity for Nigerians, stressing that in line with Federal Government’s commitment to ensure that Nigeria deploys technology to improve service delivery, the NIN-SIM database will enhance citizens’ access to government services.”

Also speaking on the show, NCC’s Director of Consumer Affairs Bureau of NCC, Efosa Idehen, said, “Those SIMs without unique identification could be used to commit crimes that remain untraceable.”

The Regional Director of NIMC in Lagos, Funmi Opesanwo, who also spoke on the programme, said that submission of NIN to a mobile network provider helped to provide a means of verifying an individual’s identity and safeguarding both identity and mobile line.