Nigerians, If You Forget Your National Identification Number, You Can Get It Back Without Outside Help

Nigerians, if you forget your national identification number, you can get it back without outside help

IN SHORT: Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission says you can retrieve your national identification number using your registered phone line. Don’t share the number with unauthorised people, as this is very risky.

Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) is a federal government agency that manages the national identity database. It also issues a national identification number (NIN) to every citizen.

The NIN, which consists of 11 randomly selected unintelligible numbers, links all the records on an individual in the database and establishes or verifies their identity.

Every Nigerian citizen must present this number to obtain a national e-ID card, international passport, permanent voter card and driver’s licence.

But remembering the number is not everyone’s strength. So, some Facebook accounts claim to help those who have forgotten their NIN.

These accounts claim to have what it takes to recover your lost NIN within “5 mins”.

One post, dated 21 January 2025, reads: “Retrieve your lost NIN within 5mins with us. Call or Whatsapp: 09096828207.”

The same message appears here, here and here on Facebook. (Note: See more instances listed at the end of this report.)

But do you need outside help to find your NIN? We checked.

‘NIN should be closely guarded’

The NIMC has warned that the NIN should be closely guarded and shared only with the relevant authorities. This warning appears in bold on the commission’s website.

Nigerians will be pleased to hear that retrieving the number is straightforward: Dial *346# on the phone number registered in the NIMC database.

“From the options displayed, select ‘NIN Retrieval’ by typing in ‘1’ if you are using the same phone number you enrolled with for your NIN. Follow the steps displayed on your screen and provide the required inputs. Note that using this service attracts a N20 fee only (deducted from your phone credit balance),” the NIMC explains.

Alternatively, you can visit any of the commission’s offices in your area.

Making your NIN public puts you at the highest risk of identity theft and fraud.

By Africa Check