NIN Verification Portal Frustrates Banks, Telcos as Downtime Persists

The persistent downtime of the National Identity Number (NIN) verification portal operated by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has triggered widespread disruptions across Nigeria’s banking, telecommunications, and immigration sectors, with many institutions unable to verify customer identities and complete critical services.

Since early July, the NIMC verification platform has experienced repeated outages, making it impossible for banks to process new account registrations or carry out Know Your Customer (KYC) updates. Telecom operators have also been unable to proceed with SIM-NIN linkages, a mandatory regulatory requirement.

The Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) has also been affected, as passport applicants across the country face delays due to their inability to complete identity verification through the NIMC database. Applicants at various immigration offices have reported long queues and repeated rescheduling of biometric capture appointments.

At multiple bank branches in Abuja, including GTBank and Zenith Bank, staff confirmed that operations were partially disrupted. Customers were turned back or asked to return at a later date due to the unavailability of NIMC’s verification portal. A manager at a major bank who spoke under condition of anonymity said the situation had stalled onboarding and service delivery.

Telecommunications firms have reported similar issues. MTN, Airtel, and Globacom offices in parts of Lagos and Abuja said they were unable to link SIM cards to NINs or process SIM replacements due to the portal downtime. According to the Association of Licensed Telecom Operators of Nigeria (ALTON), the disruptions are linked to NIMC’s transition to a new software provider, Bluesalt. The transition, ALTON said, was executed without adequate consultation with stakeholders, causing a breakdown in service delivery.

A Lagos-based technology entrepreneur said the outage had affected the rollout of 4G-enabled mobility devices in public transport vehicles, as each SIM card installed requires NIN verification. “We’ve had to pause several installations because the system is down,” he said.

In a statement released on July 4, NIMC claimed that technical maintenance on its system had been completed and that verification services had been restored. However, banks and telecom operators say service interruptions continue, with many still unable to access the database.

To reduce pressure on its systems, NIMC is promoting the use of “tokenisation,” a system that allows for NIN-linked identity verification through secure virtual tokens, without the need to directly query the main database.

The commission also encouraged Nigerians to download and use its NameAuth (or Ninauth) app to generate tokens for verification.

Despite these measures, adoption of the tokenisation process remains low, and many service providers report being unaware of how to integrate the system into their operations. Experts say the situation highlights poor coordination between NIMC and key sectors, and called for more transparency and planning in future software transitions.

As of July 8, while NIMC maintains that the portal is now active, widespread complaints suggest that service restoration remains incomplete. Industry stakeholders have urged the government to urgently address the issue to avoid further damage to public confidence and service delivery.