SIM card registration

Digital ID verifies customer identities during SIM card registration and activation through the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) verification service. The NIN-SIM linkage has been mandatory for all mobile subscribers in Nigeria since 2020, which includes legal resident foreign nationals. Subscribers submit their national identification number (NIN) to their mobile network operator, which then validates it against the NIMC National Identity Database (NIDB). Subscribers can complete the linkage through multiple channels, such as USSD code (*996#), mobile apps, or in-person visits to network operator service centers. Each subscriber is permitted to have a maximum of four SIM cards per network operator, all of which must be linked to the same NIN. As of May 2025, approximately 172.67 million SIM cards have been successfully linked to NINs.