Have you enrolled for your National Identification Number (NIN) by the NIMC and you’re currently looking for how to check your NIN on your smartphone? Well, you’re on the right page if your answer to that question is a Yes.
In this article, you will learn how to check your NIN number from your mobile phone in a few easy steps by dialing a special USSD code.
Before going into the main article which will be demonstrating how to check NIN number, let’s explain the meaning of NIN and its importance to the Nigerian populace.
The National Identification Number (NIN) is a set of numbers (usually 11 in number) that is assigned to a user individual upon successful enrolment for the National Identification System by NIMC
It is also mandatory for every citizen and legal resident in Nigeria to enroll for the National Identification Number (NIN).
Some uses of the National Identification Number (NIN) are as follows:
- It is used as a unique identifier for every citizen and a legal permanent resident in Nigeria.
- The NIN number is used to register and check the availability of your National Identification Card(if you enrolled for one).
Other things to know about the National Identification Number (NIN) are as follows:
- The National Identification Number (NIN) consists of 11 numbers and is assigned to an individual after his/her enrolment.
- No two individuals can possess the same NIN number.
- The NIN of an individual is rendered invalid upon death
- All citizens and legal residents in Nigeria are eligible to enroll for the NIN.
Without wasting more time, let’s show you how you can check your NIN number with USSD codes on all Nigerian telecom networks including Airtel, Glo, MTN, and 9Mobile (formerly Etisalat).
How To Check NIN Number (MTN, GLO, Airtel & 9Mobile)
Your NIN number is available on a slip given to you at the NIMC registration center after you completed your NIN registration and submitted your biometrics details including thumbprint, face capture, and more.
However, if you’ve forgotten your NIN number or you don’t remember where you kept the NIN slip, this section of the blog post is going to show you how to check the NIN number without your slip.
The NIMC’s USSD code NIN number checking service enables you to recover your NIN easily using your mobile phone instead of going through the stress of transporting yourself to the nearest NIMC center.
To check your NIN number on all networks including MTN, Glo, 9Mobile, and Airtel, follow the steps below:
- Navigate to your dialer or phone app on your phone and dial *346#.
- Select the “NIN Retrieval” option, by typing in ‘1’ then hit Send.
- After that, your NIN should appear on the screen and you can write it down from there.
- Congratulations have successfully gotten your NIN from your mobile device.
Note that a one-time fee of N20 (Twenty Naira) will be deducted from your mobile airtime on all networks to use this NIN checking service.
If you didn’t get your NIN after completing the steps above, then you are probably low on airtime and you should try recharging your line with at least N50 before attempting to check your NIN again.
In some cases, the network might be having issues and your airtime might be debited without showing your NIN. This is an issue from the NIMC servers and there is nothing that can be done except try again later when the network is less congested.
Also, we recommend taking a screenshot of your NIN or noting the number down somewhere to prevent having to check again since checking your NIN is not free and costs N20 every time you dial the code on your mobile line.
And that’s it, you have successfully checked your NIN on your mobile phone without having to take a trip to any of the NIMC registration centers near you. It’s that easy!
Can I Retrieve My NIN Without Phone Number?
If you have enrolled for your National Identity Number – NIN but lost access to your NIN slip and the phone number you used when enrolling, then you can still retrieve your NIN but it is not as easy as retrieving it when you still have your phone number.
There are various options to consider if you have lost access to the phone number you used when enrolling for NIN but want to retrieve your NIN.
The first option is to retrieve your line by visiting any of the nearest branch offices of your network provider. All network companies in Nigeria allow you to retrieve your line if you lost it as far as you can provide a valid ID document, frequently called phone numbers, and SIM pack if you still have it.
After retrieving your line, you can follow the steps above to check your NIN.
The other option is to visit any of the NIN enrolment centers near you – we recommend visiting the one where your NIN registration was done.
When you get there, explain the situation to them and they should be able to help you retrieve your NIN after providing your fingerprint for authentication. Depending on the center, this service can cost you up to N500 or more to check your NIN without a phone number.
Lastly, you can retrieve your NIN by reprinting your NIN slip with the tracking ID which was given to you when enrolled for your NIN.
If you still have your tracking ID, simply visit any NIN enrollment center and tell them you want to reprint your NIN slip with your tracking ID. Again, depending on the center, this could cost up to N1,500 to reprint your NIN slip.
When you get the NIN slip, your NIN will be boldly written on the front and with that, you have successfully retrieved your NIN without phone number.
Conclusion
The NIN USSD code service works on all Nigerian networks including Airtel, 9Mobile, Glo, and MTN and it costs only N20 to check your NIN with your phone number.
If you lost access to your phone number, then you won’t be able to use the NIN USSD code service and we recommend retrieving your phone number before dialing the NIN checking code on your device to get your NIN.
Can’t retrieve your phone line due to other issues? Then you can visit any of the NIN enrollment centers near you to retrieve your NIN without a phone number.
This post has been about how to check NIN with USSD codes and we hope that it has helped you in checking your NIN number on your mobile device.
