This was disclosed on Thursday by the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Pantami, during the weekly ministerial briefing organized by the Presidential Media Team, at the presidential villa, Abuja.
He said registration for NIN is not optional, but a mandate by law, warning that failure to enroll precludes defaulting citizens and residents from operating certain functions like using banks and communication services.
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He also warned that failure to obtain the NIN could lead to between seven or 14 years imprisonment as stipulated by the Nigerian Constitution, no one should enjoy government services without the number.
He said rather than population census that can be manipulated, NIN will determine the accurate number of Nigerians because of its uniqueness and tamper-proof.
He also disclosed that about 189 million Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) have been registered in the country, explaining that 150 million, out of this number, are completed registration while the remainder have problems of improper registration.
He said the improper registration has posed a challenge that government is currently dealing with.
