What to Do If You Have BVN-Generated NIN and Cannot Link to MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9mobile SIMs

Over 70 million telecom subscribers in Nigeria have been barred from making phone calls now following their failure to link their National Identity Number (NIN) with the SIM in line with the federal government’s directive.

However, some who have NIN have also been claiming that they are unable to successfully link to their SIM.

Many factors, some of them highlighted earlier here, could cause this.

Having a BVN-generated NIN is another factor that could account for your inability to link your NIN to your SIM.

What is a BVN-generated NIN?

The BVN-generated NIN is the one assigned to some Nigerians when they enrolled for the bank verification number in 2014.

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According to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the BVN-generated NIN has to be verified again at enrolment centres before it becomes valid.

That is, if you have a BVN-generated NIN, you can not link it to your MTN, Airtel, Glo and 9mobile SIMs. You have to proceed to a NIN enrolment centre to verify it, update your biometrics and validate your data.

“You must complete your NIN registration even if your BVN has generated a NIN. If your NIN was generated due to the BVN record harmonization with the National Identity Database, you will not have access to the NIMC Mobile App and your NIN-SIM integration will be invalid,” NIMC said.

Steps to take if you have BVN-generated NIN

• Proceed to NIN enrolment centre
• Request for NIN validation by updating your biometrics and verifying that your data is correct
• After successfully completing the process, you can then link the NIN with your SIM

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NIN-SIM Link: 72m subscribers groan over blocked lines as telcos count loses

Meanwhile, Legit.ng had reported that telecommunication companies in Nigeria were hit hard due to the disconnection of over 72 million telephone lines in Nigeria on Monday, April 4, 2022.

The losses run into billions of naira, according to telecom experts who said the biggest losers in the government directive are the telcos.

The firms rely on the sales of airtime for revenue and the directive is a direct blow to their major source of income.

Source: Legit.ng