NIN to bank accounts linking deadline - Minister of Communication and Digital Economy -

– FG to announce timeline for Nigerians Bank Accounts Linking with NIN anytime soon – Dr Isa Pantami

Nin to bank linking date

The Federal Government to announce a timeline for Nigerians to link their National Identity Numbers (NINs) with their bank accounts anytime soon. The Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Pantami said.

Pantami, after speaking with the State House Correspondents at the end of the Federal Executive Council (FEC) meeting, said the timelines for the mandatory linking of the NIN to bank accounts would soon be released.

Furthermore, NIN would replace the Bank Verification Number (BVN) because the latter was not backed by law. Minister said –

Timeline for telephone subscribers to link their SIMs with NINs was stated between December 16th and 30th 2020 as directed by Panatami. Furthermore, the government also stated pinned that ‘violations of this directive will be met by stiff sanctions, including the possibility of withdrawal of operating licence’ in the country.

After much worries and citizens failing all Covid-19 protocols in wanting to register for the NIN at NIMC accredited branches, the Federal Government had given a new deadline to be April 6, 2021, but stakeholders also pleaded with the Federal Government to at least extend the exercise to run for six months and if possible even remove the timeline in its entirety.

In conclusion:

Pantami further told reporters that the Council also approved about N8.9 billion for a new National ICT Park in the FCT to coordinate public and private ICT hubs in the country.

Dr Isa Pantami:

“The wisdom behind the ICT Park is for it to be a centre where public and private ICT hubs are going to be coordinated by the Federal Government, where young innovators with disruptive ideas will be mentored and all what they need provided for. We will provide enabling environment for them to utilise and come up with disruptive technologies.

“This is the first of its kind in Nigeria, we have so many parks and hubs but they are regional. This one will be central and will be a center of job creation for our teaming youths. It will be a center where technology will be developed and incubated. It will play a significant role in reducing unemployment and the reduce the gap of unemployability.

“The Federal Executive Council has approved the memo and we are going to start of establishing it in Abuja and we hope Abuja is going to be another Silicon Valley in Nigeria,” he said.