The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced that all telecommunications operators in Nigeria have successfully migrated to its upgraded National Identification Number (NIN) verification platform, NINAuth.
This milestone marks a significant step in strengthening Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem. The transition promises enhanced data security, improved service delivery, and greater user control over personal information.
The NINAuth platform, developed in-house by NIMC, replaces the previous verification system. It aims to provide seamless, secure, and user-friendly identity authentication for telecom services.
According to NIMC’s Director of IT/Identity Database, Lanre Yusuf, all telecom operators, including MTN, Airtel, Glo, and 9mobile, are now fully integrated. “This milestone reflects our commitment to securing digital identity and empowering Nigerians with greater control over their data,” Yusuf said.
The platform supports real-time NIN verification, essential for SIM registration, swaps, replacements, and number porting.
Dr. Kayode Adegoke, NIMC’s Head of Corporate Communications, emphasised that NINAuth gives NIN holders more control over their data. “The goal is to place control of identity data in the hands of the rightful owners, the Nigerian people,” he said.
The system aligns with global data protection standards, addressing growing concerns about privacy in Nigeria’s digital space.
The migration to NINAuth, which began around June 26, 2025, was not without challenges. Technical hiccups during the transition caused widespread service disruptions. For over three weeks, telecom operators suspended SIM-related services, leaving millions of Nigerians unable to register new SIMs, swap existing ones, or port numbers.
The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) attributed the disruptions to unforeseen integration issues with the new platform.
Subscribers expressed frustration over the outages. Adeolu Ogunbanjo, president of the National Association of Telecoms Subscribers, criticised the lack of public education and stakeholder engagement during the migration.
“Everything is tied to NIN, and there’s no proper public education or consultation,” he complained. Consumer advocacy groups echoed these sentiments, calling for better communication from NIMC and telecom operators.
The agency noted that the NINAuth platform would be fully operational by July 30, 2025. Adegoke added that issues related to SIM registration or swaps would be addressed by telecom service providers, not NIMC.
“NIMC is not responsible for any issues arising from new SIM registration, SIM swap, or SIM migration,” he explained. The commission urged subscribers to contact their service providers directly for resolution.
Why NINAuth Matters
The NINAuth platform is part of Nigeria’s broader push to strengthen its digital identity system. Since the federal government mandated NIN-SIM linkage in 2020, over 125 million SIMs have been linked to NINs. In April 2022, over 72 million subscribers were barred from making calls due to unlinked SIMs, underscoring the policy’s impact.
NINAuth introduces features like tokenisation, which enhances data privacy by requiring user authorisation for each verification request. Unlike the previous system, where organisations could verify identities in the background, NINAuth ensures citizens have direct control.
The platform also supports integration with other systems through APIs, making it versatile for use in banking, immigration, and other sectors. NIMC’s partnership with IDEMIA Smart Identity, renewed in April 2025, further bolsters the system’s biometric capabilities, ensuring a robust and secure identity ecosystem.
Despite the progress, challenges remain. The transition exposed gaps in stakeholder coordination and public communication. ALTON’s Chairman, Gbenga Adebayo, previously criticised NIMC for mandating the switch without adequate consultation, describing it as an “ambush” that set back operations.
However, the successful migration to NINAuth is a step toward a more secure and efficient digital identity system in Nigeria. As telecom operators resume full services, subscribers can expect smoother access to SIM-related transactions.
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