The Central Bank of Nigeria has instructed all bank customers to link their National Identification Number (NIN) and Bank Verification Number, BVN to their bank account (s).

The apex bank had in a circular on December 1st 2023, directed that banks should place restrictions on all Tier 1 bank accounts without BVN.

Tier 1 accounts are accounts that can be opened with a valid identity or proof of address.

While some banks indicated February 29, 2024, as the deadline, some banks were silent about any deadline.

The National Identification Number (NIN) consists of 11 non-intelligible numbers randomly chosen and assigned to an individual after completing enrollment into the National Identity Database (NIDB).

Bank Verification Number (BVN) is a biometric technology with secure unique identifier to analyze human characteristics as an enhanced form of authentication for real-time security processes.

To link your BVN or NIN to your bank account, you can use one of the following methods

Link BVN,NIN to bank account via SMS

Simply text BVN/NIN, your account number, and BVN/NIN number to the number/code provided by your service provider or bank.

Link BVN,NIN to bank account via Internet Banking.

Log in to the internet banking platform of your bank, select the BVN/NIN option, click on new request, enter your BVN/NIN, select the bank where your BVN/NIN was issued, answer the secret questions and follow the instructions.

Email Request

Send an email request to your account officer

Visit Your Bank.

Visit your nearest bank branch

Bankground:

Recall the CBN had in a circular on December 1st 2023, directed that banks should place restrictions on all Tier 1 bank accounts without BVN.

Tier 1 accounts are accounts that can be opened with a valid identity or proof of address.

The maximum daily transaction limit for a Tier account is N50,000 while the maximum account balance is N300,000.
According to the circular, titled, ‘TIER-1 WALLETS AND ACCOUNTS: MANDATORY USE OF BANK VERIFICATION NUMBER (BVN) OR NATIONAL IDENTIFICATION NUMBER (NIN), the CBN said: “As part of its effort in promoting financial system stability, it becomes necessary to strengthen the Know Your Customer (KYC) procedures in financial institutions under the purview of the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN).

“Accordingly, the CBN hereby issues an amendment to Section 1.5.3 of the Regulatory Framework for Bank Verification Number (BVN) Operations and Watch-List for the Nigerian Banking Industry (The Guidelines).

In this regard: It is mandatory for ALL Tier-1 bank accounts and wallets for individuals to have BVN and/or NIN
“It remains mandatory for Tiers 2 & 3 accounts and wallets for Individual accounts to have BVN and NIN;

“The process for account opening shall commence by electronically retrieving BVN or NIN related information from the NIBSS’ BVN or NIMC’s NIN databases and for same to become the primary information for onboarding of new customers, and all existing customer accounts/wallets for individuals with validated BVN shall be profiled in the NIBSS’’ ICAD immediately and within 24hrs of opening accounts/wallets.

The Nigerian Communications Commission has ruled out an extension of the February 28, 2024 deadline for the linkage of Subscriber Identity Module cards to National Identification Numbers.

As a result, telecommunication companies have been directed to bar 12 million lines which have not been linked to the owners’ NINs after the expiration of the deadline.

The Director of Public Affairs, NCC, Reuben Mouka, confirmed the development to The PUNCH on Wednesday.

Reaffirming the NCC’s stance, Mouka stated, “We already issued a public notice in this regard and all the information. If there was an extension, NCC would have communicated that. But as far as I know, there is no extension.”

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.

It further asked the Global Satellite Mobile Communications firms to bar those whose NINs have been submitted but not verified by March 29, 2024; and interdict those who have less than five lines linked to an unverified NIN by April 15, 2024.

The Chairman, Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, Gbenga Adebayo, confirmed to The PUNCH that telecom operators would comply with the NCC’s directive.

He said out of the 224 million active lines, about 12m lines risked deactivation.

Adebayo said, “About 12 million SIM cards may not have been linked to NIN. Some of these SIM cards work on modems and mifi devices. According to the regulatory directives, those numbers that are not properly linked to NIN will have services withdrawn to them by midnight today. We stand by that regulatory directive and we are going to comply,”

The ALTON chairman also dismissed speculations about a possible extension, stating that the deadline ought to have happened last year.

He declared, “No, the regulator has made it clear that there won’t be any further extension. Let us remember that this ought to have happened last year, but it was extended by the regulator till the 28th of February, 2024.”

Since the NCC first ordered the suspension of SIM cards without NIN on December 15, 2020, there had been a rapid increase in the number of people obtaining their NINs.

Between the period the order was given and the second deadline date, January 19, 2021, Nigerian mobile operators received 47.8m new submissions from active subscribers.

In 2021, about 21 million subscribers were yet to obtain their NIN, even as the deadline for registration approached

A high-ranking official at MTN Nigeria, who was not authorised to comment publicly on the matter, informed The PUNCH that the company planned to disconnect the defaulting subscribers in compliance with the directive.

According to the official, there has not been any counter-directives from the NCC.

Emphasising that it is a federal issue, the official pointed out that some lines had been disconnected earlier.

“Remember, this is not an issue with the telcos. It’s a Federal Government issue, and before now, some lines were being disconnected. If they wanted to extend the deadline, they would have issued another notice, but they aren’t as I speak to you,” the official stated.

In response to the situation, a Public Relations official at Airtel Nigeria, Sam Adeoye, mentioned that Airtel would release an official statement on the development.

However, Chineze Amanfo, Lead, Public Relations at 9Mobile, did not respond to calls when contacted by our correspondent.

Meanwhile, the Federal High Court in Lagos has restrained telecom operators from deactivating or barring any line or SIM not linked to their NINs.

Justice Ambrose Lewis-Allagoa restrained the telcos while ruling on an application filed by a Lagos-based lawyer, Olukoya Ogungbeje.

Lewis-Allagoa made the order on February 22, 2024, while ruling on a motion for the restraining orders filed by Ogungbeje.

Ogungbeje, in a suit marked FHC/L/CS/667/23, sued the Federal Government of Nigeria, the Attorney-General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, MTN Nigeria Communications Plc, and Airtel Network Nigeria Limited before the court.

He asked the court for an injunction pending appeal, ‘’restraining all the respondents jointly or severally, whether, by themselves, their agents, outlets, agencies, privies, officials, servants, men, parastatals, units, organs, or anybody or person however so called, from taking any step or action capable of enforcing the judgment in anyway and from further outright barring, deactivating and or restricting any SIM cards or his phone Lines, or of any Nigerian Citizen, slated for February 28, 2024, or any other scheduled date, pending the hearing and determination of his appeal at the Court of Appeal, against the court’s judgment delivered on May 8, 2023, by Justice Lewis-Allagoa.’’

When quizzed about the NCC’s reaction to the court injunction, Mouka responded, “We are not aware of any court injunction stopping the NCC from barring lines that have not been linked with NIN.”

Earlier today, at the ongoing 45th Kaduna International Trade, the Executive Vice Chairman, National Communication Commission, Dr. Aminu Maida, insisted that, as a matter of critical national security, telecom consumers must link their NIN to their SIM.

The EVC was represented by Mouka at the forum.

Maida reaffirmed that the February 28th deadline was given to telecom operators to bar subscribers who failed to link their NIN to their SIM stands.

“To this end, the National Communication Commission has directed all telecommunication operators to bar the phone lines of subscribers whose lines are not linked to their NINs on or before February 28, 2024,” he added.


In his reaction to Mouka’s statement that the NCC was not aware of his suit, Ogungbeje said the position of the commission is ‘’most ridiculous and shameful.’’

Ogungbeje stated that the Federal Government of Nigeria and the AGF were part of the suit, stressing that the NCC as an agency of the Federal Government must obey the court order restraining it from barring SIMs not linked to NINs.

He said, “The order specifically stated that both the Federal Government and its agencies are hereby restrained. A very good instance is the order of the Supreme Court in respect of the Central Bank of Nigeria and Godwin Emefiele’s policy on the new naira notes.

“That position by the NCC is most ridiculous and shameful. The Federal Government of Nigeria and the Attorney General of the Federation are part of the suit.’’


“So in this instant case, the NCC is bound by the order of the court as the court restrained both the Federal Government and it agencies, including the telecom firms.”

Network glitches

On Wednesday, major operators across the country, including MTN, Airtel, and 9Mobile, grappled with a widespread network connection crisis.

Subscribers were unable to make calls due to glitches attributed to a fibre optic cable cut.

The chairman of ALTON, Adebayo, clarified that the telecom connection failure experienced by subscribers was unconnected to the NIN/SIM link deadline.

He attributed the connectivity issue to the significant fibre cuts made by road contractors employed by the Federal Government.

The ALTON chairman noted, “What you have seen today as difficulty in connection has nothing to do with the NIN/SIM link deadline.

“There have been significant fibre cuts across the country, and this has impacted connectivity today, but efforts are being made by affected telecom operators to rectify this situation.”

He assured the public that efforts were being made to salvage the situation as soon as practicable while emphasising the need to protect telecom infrastructure.

“Appropriate reports would be made to the right quarters. The cuts can be traced to the activities of the Federal Government by contractors doing road work. This is why it is imperative to safeguard telecom infrastructure, going by what we have seen today.

“If we have critical national infrastructure protection, maybe what happened today wouldn’t have happened. We put it on the doorstep of the government to ensure that road contractors do not continue to cause this type of damage.”

The incident left countless residents in communication limbo, sparking a digital uproar across social media platforms.

Users have taken to expressing their frustration, detailing their struggles with the sudden loss of connection on social media.

A WhatsApp user, Emekuku said, “It’s frustrating when network providers in Nigeria cite server or application issues as reasons for service problems, leaving customers unable to resolve their issues.

“It highlights the need for improved infrastructure and communication from the providers to address such issues promptly and transparently.”

Another user, Babatee, noted, ‘’MTN is trying so hard to compete with Glo for the award of the most useless network in Nigeria. Dear MTN, no matter how hard you try, Glo will always be miles ahead of you when it comes to uselessness. So stop playing, fam.’’

MTN network

Another subscriber said, “The poor MTN network knocked me out of an important meeting and kept me incommunicado for several hours.

“Even now, they have only restored data services, but still no call or SMS. Not that they can ever say, ‘Oh, sorry for the network failure, oya take free airtime and data.’ Lai-lai.”

An Airtel user wrote, “It appears that the frustration with network services in Nigeria is widespread. The lack of a reliable network service provider affects many users, and the absence of explanations from the providers regarding disruptions in data and call services raises concerns.

“The situation may not be trending because such issues might be common and not getting enough attention.

In a statement released by MTN, the telecom company acknowledged the existence of a connectivity problem and committed to resolving the issue promptly.

According to the telco, the problem started at about 1.39 on Wednesday, February 28, 2024.

In its reaction via X, MTN Nigeria blamed the network issue on multiple fibre cuts, even as it assured customers that its engineers were working assiduously to restore normal services.

The statement read, “Dear Customer, you have been experiencing challenges connecting to the network due to a major service outage caused by multiple fibre cuts, affecting voice and data services.

“Our engineers are working hard to resolve this, with services gradually being restored in some areas.

“We apologise for the inconvenience and ask for your patience & understanding as the team works to restore full service as soon as possible.”

About 85.51 million bank customers may not to be able to withdraw from their bank accounts by March 1, 2024, due to their inability to link their National Identification Numbers (NINs) and/or Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs) to their accounts, LEADERSHIP findings have revealed.

Recall that data from the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) shows Nigeria has 146 million active bank customers (individual) as of December 2022. As of January 26, 2024, the BVN count on the NIBSS portal was 60.49 million. On NIN, about 104 million NINs have been issued as of December 2023.

And with about 24 hours to the March 1, 2024 deadline given by the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) for customers to link their Bank Verification Number (BVN) and/or National Identity Number (NIN) to their bank accounts and wallets, Nigerians have raised issues surrounding verifying their NIN with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)

The apex bank had asked banks to restrict transactions on accounts whose NIN and BVN have not been linked, starting on March 1, 2024. On December 1, 2023, the CBN declared that any bank accounts lacking NIN and a BVN will be designated as ‘Post no Debit.’

To this effect, the central bank delivered a circular to all deposit money banks that included the new directive.

The apex bank stated that having a BVN and/or NIN is required for all Tier-1 bank accounts and wallets for people, even as it added that having a BVN and NIN is still required for Tiers 2 and 3 accounts as well as wallets for individual accounts.

If the deadline stands, about 85.51 million bank customers will be unable to withdraw money from their accounts.

Reacting to this development,, the director-general of National Identification Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote disclosed to LEADERSHIP at the commission’s management retreat in Lagos that the commission saw numerous violations and unethical behaviour at NIN enrollment and modification procedures, hence, the reason it put a temporary stop to its NIN enrollment efforts for Front-End Partners (FEPs).

“My decision to direct the revalidation of all FEPs was not targeted at anyone or group. It was a step towards sanitising the system and processes while ensuring the integrity of data in the country’s identity database. Now that we have revalidated and re-issued licenses to about 96 FEPs, we believe NIN registration will be faster and secure,” she added.

She, however, posited that FEPs are crucial in fast tracking the NIN registration process.

“FEPs are the link between our citizens and the NIMC enrollment ecosystem. As you communicate with candidates, treat their information with care, accuracy, and thoroughness. Let us work together to protect our database from errors, fraud, and other threats to its integrity.


“While we welcome the expansion of our National Identity Database to over 104 million captured NINs, and targeting additional 20 to 25 million NINs registration by the end of 2024, we cannot rest on our laurels. Millions more are waiting to be enrolled. They include students, farmers, businesspeople, and the elderly. They are the heartbeat of our country.

“Let us reach out to all parts of Nigeria, from booming cities to isolated villages. Allow us to collaborate with schools, hospitals, and community leaders. Let us ensure that no one is left behind, including the vulnerable, people with disabilities, those living in remote locations, and so on. Let us make the NIN enrollment process accessible, fast, and inclusive.”

On NIN-SIM Linkage, the executive vice chairman/CEO Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Dr Aminu Maida said NIN-SIM linkage is a process of connecting one’s NIN to his phone number to authenticate and protect his identity.

To link NIN to SIM, Maida urged telecom subscribers to submit their NIN to their respective Service Provider to complete the process of NIN-SIM linkage.

For subscribers who do not have the National Identification Number (NIN), they can obtain theirs from NIMC Enrolment Centres or their Service Providers Customer Care Centres.

“A subscriber can also link his/her NIN to his/her SIM by sending NIN- your 11 digit NIN to 996 or Dial *996* Your 11 Digit NIN# and follow the prompts. A telecoms subscriber can link his/her NIN to as many as 4 mobile phone numbers per Mobile Network.

“One major objective of linking subscribers’ NIN to SIM is to help improve and enhance national security in the country. As a matter of critical National security, telecom consumers must link their NIN to the SIM. To this end, the Commission has directed all telecommunication operators to bar phone lines of subscribers whose lines are not linked to their NINs on or before February 28, 2024,” she said.

Meanwhile, a customer of a tier one bank in the country said she had received a message from her bank that asked her to visit the branch to rectify her BVN, but had ignored the message thinking it was a phishing email.

The message sighted by LEADERSHIP read: “We noticed that there is no Biometric Verification Number (BVN) linked to your account. Kindly visit any FirstBank branch close to you with a valid means of Identification to update your account information with your BVN on or before 29 February 2024.

“Please note that Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) through its circular: PSM/DIR/PUB/CIR/001/053 dated 01 December 2023, has directed that effective, 01 March 2024, all funded accounts without BVN shall be placed on ‘Post No Debit or Credit’ and no further transactions permitted.”

Opay, a mobile money operator in the country, had posted a message on all its social media handles reading: “this is to remind you that effective March 1, 2024, all accounts without NIN or BVN will be restricted from conducting transactions on the Opay app. This complies with the CBN directive. Kindly provide the required information to continue enjoying our services.”

Some customers said they were contemplating moving their funds from accounts that have BVN/NIN issues to accounts that do not have issues, whilst some are planning to withdraw their funds so as not to be stranded.

Napoli players are allegedly unhappy over the special treatment given to Victor Osimhen.

According to Corriere della Sera (via CN24), there is discontent in the Serie A champions’ dressing room due to the special privileges Osimhen gets from the club.

The players are reportedly not happy with the special treatment accorded to the Nigeria international despite his tantrums about a new deal and late return from the 2023 Africa Cup of Nations.

They are also not happy with the fact that the forward has featured regularly for the side this season despite not being fully fit.

Napoli have struggled to replicate last season’s form this term.

The Partenopei currently occupy ninth position on the Serie A table.

Walter Mazzarri’s side will take on Barcelona in a UEFA Champions League Round of 16 contest on Wednesday.

Ballzproblem2:
Chelsea fans in Nigeria eating good today

Great100000:
Oboy, this person that is beside me fit wound person ooooo, baba just dey vex for everyone.

If you say any wrong thing about our Super Eagles, baba fit slap you oooo.

Even when we scored, baba no fit jubilate,

Finally, Baba don jubilate, if you see the way baba take run marathon after we won by penalty, omo, baba fit catch usain bolt oooo, and baba dey smiles now

Great100000:
Oboy, this person that is beside me fit wound person ooooo, baba just dey vex for everyone.

If you say any wrong thing about our Super Eagles, baba fit slap you oooo.

Even when we scored, baba no fit jubilate,

The federal government has announced initiatives to transform the prospects and opportunities for Nigerian youth.

The initiatives include a reform of the National Youth Service Corps, NYSC, to focus more on ensuring that when young people finish school, they are ready to obtain good jobs or start their own businesses.

Additionally, the establishment of the NextGen Bank in April 2024 will assist young people with funding to start their own entrepreneurial projects.

Other initiatives include implementing a mandatory 30% quota in government appointments to amplify youth voices in decision-making and the construction of three youth villages in Niger, Katsina and Ebonyi, among others.

Dr. Jamila Bio Ibrahim, the Minister of Youth Development, unveiled the reform agenda in Abuja yesterday, while outlining a visionary roadmap for empowering the nation’s young population.

The minister said: “the President’s vision for the youth of Nigeria is transformative. It encompasses comprehensive education and skills development, empowerment through various initiatives, and effective engagement at all levels.

“The NextGen bank is set to launch in April 2024. This retail development financial institution will provide grants, low-interest loans, and equity investments, catalysing youth entrepreneurship in the agriculture, sustainable mining, green energy, sustainable mobility, blue economy, healthcare services, education and skill development, financial services, ICT and telecoms.”

donmik:


Now Chelsea and Madrid fans can confess that Pep Guardiola truly tormented you ba?
Thought you used to say UEFA was always against you when you meet Guardiola and Barca.
Nonsense.

Barca needs UNAI EMERY, not any other coach, simple!