No fewer than 40 million telephone lines were barred by telecommunication operators over the weekend following the expiration of the February 28, 2024 deadline issued by the Nigerian Communications Commission mandating telecom consumers to link their Subscriber Identity Modules to their National Identity Numbers.

This represents a 28 million increase from the 12 million telephone lines initially planned to be deactivated by telcos, following the NCC directive.

In a December 2023 notice, the NCC had asked telcos to bar SIMs that had not been linked to their owners’ NINs by February 28, 2024.

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On Thursday, the NCC Director of Public Affairs, Reuben Mouka, ruled out an extension of the deadline, warning that telcos that failed to enforce the deadline would be sanctioned.

However, to forestall possible disconnection of your mobile number(s),below is the highlights the step-by-step guide on how to link one’s mobile numbers to NIN through the use of the NIMC Personal Identity digital application as observed and carefully followed by our correspondent.

• Download the NIMC Personal Identity application on Google Store or Apple Store.
• Downloading the application will give you access to link up about 28 mobile numbers to your NIN.
• Input your 11-digit NIN to continue on the NIMC personal Identity page for the linkage.
• If you do not know your NIN, retrieve it by dialling *346# on the mobile number provided during the registration or supply your first name, middle name, surname and date of birth in the information box provided by the app to search the NIN.
• After proceeding with providing the NIN in the box, it will proceed to confirm your number.
• If the number found linked to your NIN is not that known, indicate that you want to use another number in the options provided.
• Provide the number and you will immediately get an SMS containing a token to proceed.
• If you don’t get an OTP, dial *364*2*NIN#
• You will receive an SMS containing your UserID and OTP.
• You will then input the OTP after which you will be taken to your identity platform which will show your UserID and NIN info with a picture.
• There’s an icon that will show that you can link your numbers, click on it and add your numbers.
• Another OTP will be sent to the number(s) you want to link, input it and it will be linked.(The PUNCH)