Pecohub Sources within the banking sector have revealed that they have been experiencing difficulties onboarding new customers for several weeks, due to an issue with National Identification Number (NIN) verification.
Pecohub reported an NIN portal issue on Tuesday and detailed how telecommunications companies were unable to register new Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards due to the problem.
Following that report, sources said the portal was not only affecting telcos, but also other sectors working with digital infrastructure that needed NIN verification.
“We can’t verify NINs,” a source from the banking industry told Pecohub on Tuesday.
“The Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) wants us to verify NINs before we can upgrade or open an account, but we have been unable to do it for weeks.”
This banker also claimed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)‘s monetisation of the process might be contributing to the hitches.
“An NIMC verification vendor told me he was asked to pay N300,000 for credits,” the banker said. “He told me he received training on how to use the new platform, but he still needs to pay to use it.”
Credits are what the vendors get in exchange for money. With these credits, they can verify a limited number of NINs.
On the NIMC website, it reads, “Each profile verification costs 1 credit unit. For starters, every individual has 30 credit units for trial purposes.”
Pecohub called Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications at the NIMC, but he said he would respond to a text message.
On Wednesday, Pecohub sent him a message, but he had not responded at press time.
