What is my National Identification Number in Nigeria?

Nigeria has now instructed that everyone must have a National Identification Number (NIN). So, what is this NIN and how is it different from the National Identity Card? If you ask yourself: "What is my National Identification Number?" Find out more about all these in the article below.

What is National Identification Number and where is it used?

Your National Identification Number (NIN) is your national identity. It is a unique set of eleven digits number that can be used to identify you by the Federal government of Nigeria. The number is issued to you by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) after you have successfully enrolled with them. Your national identification number is matched with your biometric data and other information about you in the NIMC database during your enrolment. You can use your NIN while processing every kind of transaction that involves you submitting an identity verification in Nigeria. Transactions such as:

• Processing your National ID registration.
• Processing and obtaining your travel documents such as your international passport.
• When you want to open a personal bank account.
• When you want to get a drivers licence.
• When you are getting your permanent voter’s card.
• When applying for the National Health Insurance Scheme.
• Tax payment.
• Accessing services from the Nigerian government.
• And many other related transactions that have been listed in the Federal Government Gazette by the NIMC.

READ ALSO: Nigerians as from 2018 will need national ID number to renew or get a passport - Nigeria Immigration Service

Who is eligible to a National Identification Number?

All Nigerians from the age of sixteen and above are eligible to have a National Identification Number. It has been mandated for every legal citizen and resident of Nigeria to enrol for the National Identification Number. Nigerians below the age of sixteen cannot be issued with a National Identification Number until they turn sixteen.

How to get your National Identification Number

There are three ways through which you can process your National Identification Number:

1. Self-service
2. Assisted service
3. Mobile service

Self-service

• For self-service, you can walk into an Enrollment Centre and pick up an enrolment form.
• Fill in the enrolment form and provide all the required demographic information.
• Submit your completed form to the Enrolment Officer who will collect your form and imputes the details you have provided on your form into their system.
• You will be asked to confirm and verify the data entered into their system.
• Your headshot photograph, fingerprints, and signature will be captured.
• Your supporting documents will be collected and scanned by the Enrolment Officer.

Once your enrolment is completed and verified, two slips will be generated and given to you: a transaction slip and a NIN slip indicating the completion of your enrolment.

Assisted service

For assisted service, the steps are the same as listed above under self-service. But unlike the self-service, you don’t fill the enrolment form on your own. You can fill out your enrolment form with the help of a Support Officer. The Support Officer will guide you and assist you in filling out the form correctly.

Mobile service

There are mobile enrolment stations available in certain neighbourhoods. So, you can visit a mobile enrolment station to enrol for your National Identification Number. At a mobile station, you can pick up an enrolment form and follow all the steps as listed under Self-service or request for the assistance of a Support Officer. Your enrolment is completed after your form has been processed by the Enrolment Officer at the mobile station and your biometric data has been taken.

What are the supporting documents for enrolment?

These are the document you need to take along with you as proof of your identity to enrol for your National Identification Number:

• Your old National Identity Card if you have one.
• Your valid driver’s licence if you have one.
• Your international passport if you have one.
• Your Voter’s Identification Card (PVC).
• Government Staff Identification Card if you have one.
• The certificate of your state of origin or Local government certificate.
• Your birth certificate or declaration of age.
• Any other valid identification document that is accepted by the National Identity Management Commission.

Note that you can only enrol for NIN only once. The NIN cannot be issued to another person once it has been issued to you. It helps the Federal Government of Nigeria to tie all your records in their database and can be used to identify you afterwards. You should also remember that enrolment for NIN is absolutely free, so people who ask you money for this are fraudsters.

READ ALSO: NIMC registers and issues identification number to 21.4m Nigerians

Source: Legit.ng