Banks, telecommunications companies, and other service providers continue to face significant challenges due to the ongoing downtime of the National Identity Number (NIN) verification portal operated by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
The NIN-SIM linkage, mandated by the federal government to enhance security and identity management, relies heavily on real-time access to the NIMC’s verification portal. However, the persistent technical issues and outages have left operators unable to authenticate users’ identities, halting many customer services.
According to industry sources, the downtime has affected onboarding of new customers, SIM registration, and account updates across multiple sectors. Financial institutions, in particular, say the situation is hampering Know-Your-Customer (KYC) compliance processes, while telecom operators report an increase in customer complaints and loss of revenue.
Some service providers said they have been unable to verify identities for several days, putting both new applications and transactions on hold. A bank official, speaking anonymously, described the situation as “crippling,” warning it could lead to loss of confidence in the digital identity infrastructure.
This isn’t the first time the NIMC portal has experienced outages, but the current disruption is longer and more widespread than usual. Stakeholders are urging the federal government to prioritize technological upgrades and ensure consistent service delivery from NIMC to avoid further economic and operational disruptions.
NIMC is yet to issue an official explanation for the prolonged downtime, leaving many service providers in limbo as they await resolution.
