General News
NIN-SIM Linkage: FG Gives Security Agencies Nod to Access Subscribers’ Details
Some security agencies have got an approval from the President Muhammadu Buhari, to access the database of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) the course of carrying out their duties.
As a result, Isa Pantami, minister of Communications and Digital Economy, said his office through the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), has conveyed the approval to the relevant security agencies.
He did not give the names of the security agencies. He, however, said the development would enhance security as it would help security operatives to go after kidnappers and other criminals.
According to Punch, Pantami disclosed this while speaking to Nigerian journalists on the sidelines of LEAP 22, a technology event, currently holding Riyadh, Saudi Arabia.
He said, “Some of the security institutions, based on the cybercrime law, are allowed to gain access to the database without coming to us because the database allows for lawful intercept. That lawful intercept was allowed in order to support our security agencies.
“Mr. President has given an approved for them to do it, without even our intervention. So, with that approval, the NCC has conveyed that through my office to all the relevant institutions that the President has granted an approval for that.
“So, with it, they can gain access into the database even without our permission, and they have never complained to me, even for once. The only person that wrote a letter to me is the Minister of Defence, asking that we should try to finish the NIN-SIM policy on time.”
The NIMC currently house the data of the over 73 million Nigerians who have linked their National Identity Number with their SIM.
The minister, however, said the NIMC was still struggling with infrastructure, salary and welfare challenges, among others.
He added that the government was struggling to pay salaries and implement measures to help the commission complete its job.
Pantami said, “If you look at the circumstances, NIMC is doing very well. Before my coming, what NIMC captured was just about 40 million, but now over 73 million have been done. We have achieved over 30 million within one year, while 40 million was achieved from 2007 to 2020.
“Secondly, about NIN-SIM registration, the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and the NIMC are not security institutions. We are a sector for economic development but we came up with the policy, because the priority of the government is security and it is a constitutional obligation of any government. It is in the 1999 Constitution as amended, Section 14 Subsection 2, Article B, it is our responsibility.”
The PUNCH had reported on January 12, 2022 that no fewer than 64 people were kidnapped between January 1 and 7, 2022.
According to StatiSense, a Nigerian data consulting firm, about 5,287 kidnapping cases were recorded in Nigeria in 2021.
The minister, however, lamented that despite possessing a total of 73 million NINs, no security agency contacted the NCC to provide any information that might help in tracking down kidnappers in the last six months.
President Buhari had during the launch of the National Policy for the Promotion of Indigenous Content in Nigerian Telecoms Sector and Revised National Identity Policy for SIM Cards registration said, “The NIN will cover one of the weaknesses in our security structure. We will be able to easily identify and know the personality of Nigerians. We will identify people easily, including the crooks.”
The Federal Government had in 2020 mandated the NIN-SIM linkage for every telecom subscriber.
Pantami said, “I was in the Federal Executive Council media team presentation last week and these same questions were also asked.
“I said to them, this is what we have been doing for security and the EVC/CEO of the NCC was next to me, just like now, and I asked him if there was any time that any security institutions contacted the NCC to provide details of anyone of which he failed; he said ‘no’. He said it had never happened since I became a minister.
“Secondly, in the last six months, did they ever contact you to provide any information of which you failed to do so? He said ‘no’. So, in the last six months, no one contacted us.”
Pantami, however, stressed that some security agencies recently got approvals from the President, Buhari, to bypass the NCC and the ministry, and access the database directly.
He explained that such ‘lawful intercept’ was allowed in order to support the security agencies.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) strengthened bilateral relations with the Netherlands’ government through an agreement targeted at improving migration governance and border security.
This partnership was confirmed during a meeting at the NIS headquarters in Abuja, which was attended by a Dutch team led by Jurgen Bartelink, Chargé D’Affaires of the Embassy of the Netherlands in Nigeria.
The meeting focused on increasing bilateral migration cooperation and came after the comptroller general of Immigration, Kemi Nandap, paid a working visit to the Netherlands.
Under the agreement, the Dutch government pledged to continue supporting technology-driven solutions targeted at boosting Nigeria’s border control systems and improving migration management.
During the Netherlands Embassy diplomats handed over essential operational tools, such as Edison Software licence keys and the Passport Examination Programme Manual App.
According to NIS spokeswoman ACI Akinsola Akinlabi, “The partnership focuses on enhancing bilateral collaboration on migration management and reviewing ongoing capacity-building efforts.”
Bartelink, Chargé d’Affaires of the Netherlands Embassy in Nigeria, underlined the Netherlands’ commitment to helping Nigeria’s continuing border security and migration reforms.
Also speaking, Rob Bokhoven, head of international affairs, repatriation, and deportation services at the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security, emphasised the country’s strong bilateral relations and announced plans to share a mobile border software solution with the NIS.
Receiving the equipment, Nandap said the delivery of the gadgets would boost West African country’s border security, significantly improve the service’s document verification border management capabilities and support the implementation of Nigeria’s National Migration Policy.
“The engagement will further reinforce the strategic partnership between Nigeria and the Netherlands advancing shared goals in migration governance, border security and international cooperation,” she added.
Peter Enogb, principal country economist, African Development Bank (AfDB), says the rise in global uncertainty, emanating from increases in global trade tariffs, has slowed Nigeria’s projected growth to 3.2% in 2025.
“Without this level of heightened uncertainty, our projections would probably have been somewhat higher. We’ve reduced our projections for Nigeria. We initially were projecting 3.5% – 3.6% growth in 2025.
“But given the current situation, our models are showing that we’re taking a more cautious approach. So that’s why we produced this and, of course, the main driver is uncertainty in the global economy,” Enogb said.
He said this at the launch of the 2025 Nigeria Country Focus Report (CFR) on Thursday.
AFDB projected that real GDP growth would hit 3.1% in 2026. Following the 2024 consumer price index (CPI) rebasing, with lower weights for food items, the inflation rate is expected to reduce over the medium term to 24.7% in 2025 and 17.3% in 2026.
As imports start to rise over the medium term, the current account is projected to decline to 3.9% of GDP in 2026.
The National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) reported that Nigeria’s headline inflation slowed for the second consecutive month to 22.97% in May. This is down from 24.48% at the start of the year
This is contrary to the World Bank projection that Nigeria’s economy would record steady growth of 3.6% despite the shift in the global trade dynamics.
Joseph Ogebe, head of research and development at Nigerian Economic Summit Group (NESG), also said that global uncertainty had been very high in recent times, resulting from the Trump 2.0 effect.
“And also with the recent war between Israel and the international community, we’ve seen what’s happening to oil prices. Even with the call-off of the war, we’ve seen the effect on oil prices too, which has implications on the fiscal side. So it has implications for the general economy,” he said.
The head of research at NESG said that rather than focusing on just growth, what should be looked at is a strategy called growth with depth.
“Growth with depth means that your growth must be diversified, export-led, productive, and technologically driven,” he said.
Ogebe said that if the Government works towards adopting a strategy of growth with depth, there is a tendency for the government to move towards its goal of achieving a $1 trillion economy by 2030.
The report revealed that the country’s recent policy moves, including fuel subsidy removal, exchange rate unification, and tax reforms, reflect a commitment to long-term transformation.
However, it also pointed out that at about 13%, Nigeria’s tax-to-GDP ratio is among the lowest in West Africa, noting that fiscal reforms are urgent.
TikTok has announced the expansion of its global mental health fund to Sub-Saharan Africa and introduced new digital safety tools aimed at improving well-being on the platform.
The announcement was made at the inaugural Digital Well-being Summit held in Johannesburg, South Africa, with participants including government officials, mental health experts, NGOs and industry leaders from several African countries.
As part of the initiative, three organisations—South African Depression and Anxiety Group (SADAG), Mentally Aware Nigeria Initiative (MANI), and Kenya’s Mental360—were named as the first African beneficiaries of the platform’s $2.3 million Mental Health Education Fund.
TikTok also introduced an in-app guided meditation feature called “Sleep Hours,” rolled out globally to support better nighttime routines for users. The tool is automatically enabled for users under 18 from 10 p.m., with optional use for older users.
According to the company, the move is part of its broader efforts to support mental health, reduce stigma, and increase access to reliable support services on its platform.
The platform is also expanding access to local in-app mental health helplines across Africa, following successful pilots in Europe. The helplines will offer expert support on issues such as self-harm, harassment, and suicidal ideation.
Additionally, TikTok unveiled its first set of Mental Health Ambassadors in Africa under its collaboration with the World Health Organization. The ambassadors include medical professionals from South Africa, Nigeria, and Kenya.
Valiant Richey, TikTok’s Global Head of Trust and Safety Outreach, said the company remained committed to creating a safe and supportive space for users across all regions.
The summit featured discussions on online safety, digital literacy, and access to professional mental health resources, with support from local partners such as Spectra.
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