₦airaland Forum

Software development/programming. First pickup a book on a language such as Java. Read it and see if it’s something you’ll like to do. If so, download the development environment and start writing and practicing code.

As others mentioned, Networking, Cyber Security, Database Administration, etc. are other aspects of IT you can look into.

Emeskhalifa:
Examples of IT courses you will recommend abeg

My understanding is that the new digital passports require the NIN (are they not all the new digital passports anyway). It will not go through without the NIN.

GreatCracker:
good morning to you
Please is the NIN compulsory for other NIS offices in other states or it is only for those in Lagos Abuja and PH?

Same here. I have received my passport. A friend that was visiting Lagos from here brought it for me. Thank God I did the 10 year renewal, so I don't have to deal with the renewal. Don't have to deal with renewal for another 10 years.

nellaluv:
I also did update and I've gotten my international passport. I rearranged my name on my international passport.

They could not have updated their systems to link to NIMC database for real-time verification. So all the Telcos portal is doing is collecting your data. Then they'll send it over manually, via email, spreadsheet, etc. to NIMC for verification. Then they'll respond to you with whatever NIMC says. So all those using invalid random numbers is just a waste of time. It will bounce back as not verifiable.

MTN sent me a message about 2 weeks after submission, that NIMC has verified my NIN. Nothing from GLO yet. I submitted both on the same day though.

Newton85:
But why should it be linkable in the first place? Shouldn't the idiots at NIMC or the service providers know he was linking someone else's NIN to his sim?

Had that issue as well. My NIN did not drop because my Name on NIN was slightly different from the one on the passport. As in Oluyemi vs Yemi. So had to do an NIN name amendment to match the passport. Did the name change in Ikoyi NIMC office when I was in Lagos in November. It never reflected after 2 months, so my passport was in limbo. About 3 weeks ago I decided to go and do the damn modification at the NIMC agent here in Chicago. I received my updated NIN slip (emailed to me in 24 hours). Forwarded it to the person doing my passport, and passport came out in 3 days.

In your case, you may want to make sure your names are matching on NIN and passport.

theForth:
It's been close to a month I captured at NIS office at Ikeja Alausa, till this very day I haven't gotten my passport, they said my NIN has not dropped.

This is for those with no NIN, or those with blank NIN received via BVN registration. This process has given the Telcos the authority to interface into the NIMC backend/database, to register people.

Basically any one with authority and the equipment can carry out this process. For example, I went to an authorized representative here in Chicago to do my own registration. Because of covid19 restrictions (his office is closed), the guy is doing the registration right out of his house. Went there last summer, registered, fingerprint, picture, etc. and got my NIN immediately.

Bushbaby123:
Is it only for those who have NIN, or those who have not registered for NIN can also go to glo outlets for registration? Somebody should clarify me please

You can do the covid test at one of those Rapid testing clinics/labs that provide the results in 15 minutes. That's the one I used when I traveled to Naija last November.

Ninisun:
My in law did his in US and got the result after four days and this made him to miss his previously booked flight cos he felt the result would come out earlier.
If you ain't that bouyant,book your flight earlier and make sure your covid result will be ready a day before your flight.

I would have to say IT/Programming. And this is not just in Nigeria BTW. Automation is the present and future. So, you can't go wrong knowing how to program.

The systems are not linked. So all the submission done with Telco (MTN, GLO, etc) is only in their own system They still have to manually send that NIN data over to NIMC for verification. The Telco's are just capturing the NINs. They are not verifying it. NIMC does the verification, respond to Telco, then Telco will let you know if you are verified or not. The ideal solution is to automate this whole thing. Otherwise, it will be a hell trying to get it done.

Mcreloaded:
Imagine the 3 lines I registered through typing code on my MTN and AIRTEL , I was told it was successful but when I logged in to the app just now the lines I used code to register were not there.

All these registration through network codes are not working and this will put many people at a disadvantage thinking they have registered.
Registration through the app is the way to go

The NIMC app does not work for most. When I type in my NIN it shows the number linked to my NIN as Blank, and gives 2 options. Either to select the number is still linked and continue or, to select that the number is no longer linked and continue. Selecting option one displays an error message. Selecting option 2 asks you to visit an NIMC office. What a joke of an app! And that's when I try it after ours. During normal daytime hours, it just displays an error message right away. The app is far from functional!

BlackFlamefromP:
Why are people going through all these stress?

I just successfully linked all my active phone numbers this morning though the NIMC app I downloaded from playstore without any stress. I also got a digital National ID card from the app.

I advise you guys to download the NIMC app. it will make your life easier.

If you are waiting for your network operator to link your phone number to your NIN you may wait forever!

I said it from day 1, that the systems are not integrated in any way, so there has to be some manual intervention, which will make this a very difficult task to achieve. When we a do the link via the Telcos portal, all that information resides on the Telco's database,. They have to manually send over that NIN information to NIMC for them to verify that it matches. Only then can they send their own confirmation. So the Telco to NIMC linkage and Vice-versa is a totally manual process. I am guessing Telcos send over the info in batches via a spreadsheet or so, and then NIMC responds back, by marking each record in the batch as validated or not. The easiest solution is for NIMC to open up their API, and allow the Telco's to update their on systems so that they can communicate and do the verification directly. This will take some time and thinking, get their IT departments together, and flush out the details. That's how systems are developed.

The answer will depend one one's need. If you live outside the country, and do not intend to live in Nigeria, then it may not be the wisest thing to do. However, if you visit Nigeria regularly enough, it's probably fine to have somewhere to stay while you are on ground. So having a property there is a good idea. Plus, some or part of the property can be rented out. In my opinion though, it's better to OWN a property (Paid off) where ever you actually stay, before thinking about somewhere you just visit occasionally.

Esosaqueen:
is building a house in Nigeria even worth it for one outside the country?

Work from home doing what exactly? To they all have work provided laptops, so that they can log in and continue working seamlessly? What about uninterrupted electricity and very stable internet connection? These things need to be in place first.

Update - Drove out to the city to do my update/capture on Sunday. All updates require approval by someone in Abuja. So, it got processed and I received a temporary slip with the tracking ID. I was informed it takes 24 - 48 hours to be approved. I received the updated slip with NIN, updated info, etc. this morning. So, I have sent it to the person processing my passport, so that he can proceed. The update was free BTW. The one I did in Naija in November, that I paid 15k (it's supposed to cost 1K officially) for is still in limbo! The person doing my passport told me he bribed additional 10K a couple of weeks ago. And still no dice. Anyway, I no longer need that one. Nigeria is a mess!

nellaluv:
Please update us. Where is NIMC registration center Located in the US? My coz in Florida is looking for where to register.

I have mi band 5 and I can definitely read SMS ok n it. I'm using the mi fit app.

I am in Chicago and we have one here. I heard New York, Houston, Washington D.C. and Atlanta also have one. Pretty much cities that have a HUGE Nigerian presence. Here is the link to the Chicago one

https://iq-online.net/book-usa/

This FB link has some addresses

https://www.facebook.com/nimc.ng/posts/diaspora-enrolment-extends-to-the-united-states-of-america-nimcin-continuation-o/2231134436933804/

No the changes have not been effected. I have started to look into option B. Looking to see if I can get the update done here in the US, at the same NIMC registration center where I registered for NIN. I spoke to the guy already and have setup an appointment. I will update this thread accordingly.

nellaluv:
Have the changes being effected? I'm having this same challenge

Do not pay anyone 150K. It's all on their website. DOB change is 15k, each name field change is 500 Naira. Though I paid 15K when I was in Naija in November to change from short name to long name format (Segun to Olusegun). And the change still has not been done, because it has to be approved in Abuja. I could not renew my international passport (Short name on BVN/NIN and long name on passport) because of that nonsense ! Had to come back on my old passport...Thank God it was still valid.

There is no way in Hell any well written software should be matching on firstname at all. It should be DOB+Lastname, and then add firstname (and its variations), if those 2 attributes do not uniquely identify someone.

https://web.nimc.gov.ng/docs/nimc_fees_nigeria.pdf

olamylekhan:
Please I have similar problem too, I have 20/10/1986 on my passport instead of 20/10/1984. I want to correct this and I have contacted someone in Ikoyi through a sister on phone she said it can only be done in Abuja I contacted one officer in Abuja he's demanding 150k before it can be done also this passport is long expired. I want my correct DOB on the new one. Please help me on how to any info can contact Help me

A lot of people, myself included, are going to run into these name issues. During the early days of sim registration a lot of people used short first names, because they did not require any official ID back then. Same thing with BVN. However most people have their full names on official documents, such as passports, birth certs., etc. So if NIMC/Telcos are trying to match on firsname, a lot will fail! Normally most modern software systems should match on a combination of DOB and Lastname. Then if multiple are found that match, it can be narrowed down by adding firstname and a variation of firstname, such as Segun, Olusegun, Oluwasegun. Going this route should 'uniquely' identify someone and eliminate most of these problems. The NIMC system is just not written well in my opinion.

May be a prepaid sim. In my post above I said "contract".
Bottom line...the SSN is needed for just about anything you do here.

Crispels:
That's not true bro. When I first arrived here in the US, I was able to acquire a US sim card even though I did not have a SSN.

Well, not exactly. However, you cannot get a mobile phone contract without the SSN. The SSN is issued at birth, and is used for everything here in the US. You cannot get anything done without it.

Nigeria is just getting to that digital age, so they are approaching this backwards. There is going to be some growing pains. As they now have to find a way to make sure everyone gets an NIN. They also need to make sure all new births are issued an NIN. That is, require the NIN in order to get the birth certificate. It's going to take a lot of work and system rework and re-engineering, but it's needed.

Crispels:
Do they link phone numbers to national ID numbers in other countries? USA? Canada? UK?

This is correct. Traveled to Nigeria in November on Delta. Not much hassle. Just showed the Negative Covid-19 test taken within 5 days of travel date, It was needed for check-in at both departing airport, and at the connecting airport(Atlanta). Before travel date, I uploaded my test results to the Naija Immigration portal, paid for the Naija test, and I received an email with the QR code. I was also asked to choose my test center and date for the Naija covid test. And that was all. I received a reminder email and call(on my Naija number) the day before the test. Got to the test center in GRA Ikeja early in the morning. We were the 5th car in line, and we were out of there within 45 mins of when they started testing. Got my test results within 48 hours, as they promised. It was seamless to me.

tot:
For those who followed the process correctly, there was actually no hassle. They travel portal had all the necessary info and even 24 hour customer service. The 7 days was self isolation.

There are dedicated NIN registration centers in some countries. I did my NIN (due to passport needing renewal)here in Chicago around August or so. There are centers in Houston and New York as well. Still not enough though, considering the size of the USA.

fid3fid:
What about Nigerians wey dey live abroad and them no get NIN. Their Nigeria line is roamed to receive call oversea.

How them for oversea go take register NIN?

I am not sure about how HND is viewed here. So, can't say if it's considered the same as a Bsc. degree. Nevertheless, you will probably need to take some additional remedial courses once you are admitted into a program.

jubianose:
Wow,, finally I completed this thread. I started reading this week, and today I have reached the last page.

Thank you @MackyNaija, indeed your stories and life experiences on this thread has inspired me alot. Keep on the good work.

Pls I have a question, (I know that basically almost all the issues relating to going to US for further studying and working there has been covered here), but my question is this-

I am graduate of Mass Comm in IMT, Enugu, though I have clocked pass 30yrs, but I have this dream of going outside the country probably USA, (or any other sane western country). Is it possible that I can be given admission to do Masters in International Relation or any similar Courses such as Sociology considering that I have HND result (second class upper) and also considering my age?

Secondly, around how much in Naira (in your estimation considering the dollar exchange rate now) will it cost me?

Pls I will really appreciate your reply. Thank You all
CC: to MackyNaija, Bossman, Krogor, Tunmuse100, TheGrandChemist, etc etc all the Bosses here that I no fit remember their names now..

Merry Christmas all.
But I wan leave Naija. I wanna start making that move NOW!!!

That's good to know. Yes, skillset and the school the degree is received from can also make a big difference in opportunities and salary.

Misterdhee1:
Well according to data, Economics is one of the best fields to have a doctorate degree. A PhD Economics degree can get you any where - be it government, private firm or think-thanks. The opportunities are much, and also depend on your skillset.

While Phd is good, it's important to do it in the right field. If done in one of those fields that do not have a high demand, it will be tough to break in and actually get a very good job. Honestly, I do not feel Economics is one of those where it will be easy to get a "good" job after Phd. Unless you go to one of the top schools.

Kahbahsah:
@Mackynaija and all other elders in the house, I extend my special greetings for this invaluable thread. I have two questions please:

1)From my little research, it seems to me that a PhD in Economics is considered a STEM course in the US. If I follow this pathway, what are my chances of getting a post study permanent residence permit?

2) I want to go through the PhD pathway because it seems that it has more and better funding opportunities. Do I stand a chance to get admitted with the following profile:

GRE score: 308
BSc GPA based on WES evaluation: 3.7/4
IELTS overall band: 7.5

Thanks all.

I may be part of a syndicate...wow!. I am simply posting about my experience on a website that was linked here. What is wrong with some us people! Can't people use common sense and click on my name, and read through my posts, before making nonsensical assumptions about someone? No point in me getting into a back and forth banter on this platform. Just SMH.

Agbegbaorogboye:
Thanks.

Pls ignore that guy claiming the website is spot on. He might just be part of the syndicate

I believe the government is somewhat hesitant about this move because of its economic impact. This will heavily affect movement of cash flow within the country. Unfortunately a lot of businesses are so dependent about these people coming into the country with cash to spend, exchange, etc. However, I believe they just have to bite the bullet, and do what's best for the safety of its people. Because the dilapidated health care system cannot deal with a major outbreak of this disease.

When you go and register for NIN, one of the questions they ask is your BVN. I did mine at the designated center here in Chicago. If you have a BVN they will use that to get your NIN, then they are supposed to update it with the information you supplied and update the NIMC database.

Yes, they have. So nothing changes with UK.

gogo2479:
I thought all passengers from any part of the world coming into Nigeria has been doing that already. Or must show their negative PCR test result prior to boarding.

I just want to confirm that the website mentioned is spot on! I was able to get my NIMC details, including even the picture(coloured). It also gives you the option to print and email it to you as a PDF. I did both. I did this because I wanted to verify if the name update (from short to long name) I did at the Ikoyi office last month had gone through. Since my passport renewal failed due to non-matching firstname on passport and NIMC. The person doing my passport kept saying the update has not been done by NIMC yet. So I needed to make sure. So, I can confirm that the website is linked to NIMC database. The information is accurate to the T!

Sheggy13:
You're simply stupid. Is it your measly 300 naira that i want to defraud you of? That site is well-known and linked with NIMC. If you don't know something ask questions instead of being silly.

Yes. The idea is to make sure any mobile number issued has an associated NIN number. Basically they want to be able to track the person using any mobile number. So the way to do that is via the associated NIN. If you have 10 mobile numbers fine. As long as your NIN is linked to those numbers.

osamz007:
Can anyone help with this