The National Identification Number (NIN) consists of 11 unique numbers randomly chosen and assigned to every citizen and legal resident from age 0 at the completion of enrolment into the National Identity Database (NIDB).
The NIN is used to tie all records about an individual in the database and is also your personal identifier; you will need to use it for many other transactions — basically anything that involves a credit check or background check.
The benefit of the NIN to an individual:
- It helps provide accurate records about actual living/dead persons in every region of the country
- It helps keep track of actual transactions as well as movement of people within and out of the country
- It helps confirm which individuals are in actual need of particular Government services, e.g. age and retirement confirmation for pensioners.
- When it comes to access to vital services (passport issuance, banking services, land transactions, insurance services, pension, health insurance, payment of taxes, voter’s registration, consumer credits, and all Government services), your NIN becomes necessary for:
- cutting down the time needed for verifying documents to properly identify you in order to access the services you require
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- reducing errors in allocation of services to the right people
- prevention of fraud (419) where someone else impersonates you
- verification of the real identity of other people you go into financial or business transactions with or even people you wish to employ such as house help
- ensuring you are properly identified when receiving health services, e.g. verifying the actual blood types of blood donors at hospitals
- Verification of voter eligibility during elections.
Even outside the country, your NIN remains valuable whether you are travelling or are part of the Nigerian diaspora:
- You can easily identify yourself with other proud Nigerians abroad
- The Nigeria Government would have more accurate statistical data of its citizens living abroad, useful for harnessing more skills and talent
- Identity verification using the NIN would enable easier discovery of relatives and friends worldwide
- Senders and receivers of money and goods/services can be identified, verified and traced as needed, enabling secure international transactions.
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