‘Who cursed us with these leaders?’ — outrage trails N20 charge to check NIN

Some Nigerians on Twitter have condemned the N20 service fee required for checking their National Identification Number (NIN) status on smartphones.

The condemnation comes on the back of a directive by the Nigeria Communications Commission (NCC) that all network operators should ensure that “all their subscribers provide valid National Identification Number (NIN) to update SIM registration records.”

According to the NCC, any SIM card without NIN by December 30 would be blocked.

Shortly after the NCC’s directive, the Nation Identity Management Commission (NIMC) announced that Nigerians could retrieve their NIN by simply dialing *346# on their phone.

The development has however stirred backlash on social media with many Nigerians accusing the federal government of exhorting the masses over the N20 charges required to check their NIN status.

“20 naira per person. You people keep ripping us off the little we have yet are so insensitive to our plight. The president who couldn’t visit a school visited his cows yet sent a delegate from Abuja to Katsina where he presently is. Who cursed us with you bloodsucking leaders,” a user wrote.

20 naira per person. You people keep ripping us off the little we have yet are so insensitive to our plight. The president who couldn't visit a school visited his cows yet sent a delegate from Abuja to Katsina where he presently is. Who cursed us with you bloodsucking leaders https://t.co/cvjyulCf3X

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— L2 (@lekansquare_) December 15, 2020

“…opportunity the government just wants to milk people dry. What’s there in charging N5 for this? There are people who can’t afford that N20 naira fee and it’s a reality. Let this government make lives better for people and not frustrate us. Regards!” a user wrote.

…opportunity the government just wants to milk people dry. What's there in charging N5 for this? There are people who can't afford that N20 naira fee and it's a reality. Let this government make lives better for people and not frustrate us. Regards!

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— Metumaraibe (@Sir_Berkeley) December 16, 2020

Here’s what some Nigerians had to say:

The Same Govt that said #EndSARS was spreading Covid 19 wants N100M people to get NIN to Register Sims in 2weeks. We have not gotten our Nation ID 5 years after registration & when you try to get your NIN thru USSD from NIMC dey charge you N20 while you get nothing in return 🤦‍♂️😡

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— Odogwu🤴 (@Daddy_Nomso) December 16, 2020

Oh boy!!! Govt Dey do Cash App 😩😫. N20 by 50m pple is clean N1bn. . Oni cici season. This NIN rubbish needs to stop Abeg.

— 'Gòkè (@iamgokeolateju) December 16, 2020

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So I just randomly decided to try the *346# on NIN retrieval and discovered I have NIN. The issue, FAM, is that I never registered for NIN👀👀😳😳😱 What is going on ? @DrJoeAbah please sir, do you have any answer to this? Or is NIN now N20?

— Mazi Emeka the Tax Lawyer (@DieuEmeka) December 16, 2020

So if I use a whopping N20 to search for sim card and NIN number and it doesn't have it, will they automatically update it or refund my money? See, N20 is a lot of money right now o and I'm not wasting it at this point. To even think I have 3lines, no way! (I don't care 😅)

— kennygee babe (@kennygee_70) December 16, 2020

I also pressed Cancel.. N20 is too much na.. Just because I want to check NIN, something that suppose to be free… Nawa oooh.. https://t.co/9x88i5x86J

— Ogbeni Lastborn (@Iamolawaley) December 16, 2020

Ol'boy this NIN vs SIM card matter should have been announced by @firsNigeria and not @NIGComCommision because its about revenue generation and not security. N20 x 180m.

— Uwa. Omoregha (@UwaOmoregha1) December 16, 2020

The NCC announcement has put people in a panic to check if they have the NIN by dialing *346# on their phones.

It costs N20 each time you use *346# to check your NIN.There are at least 100 million cellphones with SIMs in Nigeria.

Do the maths. 20 × 100 million.Soft work. Yahoo+

— Kelvin Odanz (@MrOdanz) December 16, 2020

Limawo. 206 million people x 20 naira each. They want to use our money and do Detty December pic.twitter.com/qNhtA75g46

— . (@Milktmamii) December 15, 2020

These bastards are running a fund raising exercise.
Believe them at your own peril.
20 naira multiplied by 2, 000,000=40,000,000
Imagine what will happen if we multiply by 10,million.?

We really need to start a war in this country. pic.twitter.com/ZU3JkqqVaS

— divergent ™⏺️ (@divergentscout) December 16, 2020

Let's say 50million Nigerians have 2 sims each

To link a sim is 20Naira
N20 x 50million citizens = 1billion/1sim
That makes it 2billion if at least 50million Nigerians link both sims.

Hope you see where this National ID thing is going?

Armed robbers! pic.twitter.com/l82ttzunru

— TGG (@Michael_papsy) December 16, 2020

Did u know nigeria govt want to loot her own citizens with NIMC sha🤫🤫

if u click dat *343# u will be charge sum of 20naira 🙃

multiply that by sum total of population in the country 🤑

20×200,000,000=4,000,000,000🥵🥵 thief

let's #EndBadGovernmentInNigeria#EndSARS pic.twitter.com/v6laTArpWH

— Khalil One love NG☪️ (@LawalHalilu12) December 16, 2020

This NMIC saga is becoming something else, I have dialed *346# thrice now and have been deducted 20naira each time still no response…

Imagine 180million Nigerians doing that thrice….

— Richard Mofe-Damijo RMD ➐ { ♛ } (@OfficialRMD_) December 16, 2020

*364# to check NIN (#N20 * 206,000,000 citizens) = N4.1Billion Naira only

* why can't this service be free?
* is there a revenue sharing formula between FG and telecos?

I just gave you #20 😢

Cc: @GarShehu, @segalink, @DrJoeAbah, @BashirAhmaad

— World Famous Gamaliel✍ (@WorldGamaliel) December 16, 2020

20 naira from the whole population

And some people get like five sims🤣🤣🤣

FG wan cash out for this Christmas o☹️☹️ pic.twitter.com/oNDt5vqZgQ

— Sir_Linux❣️🔥 (@Brainch93239158) December 16, 2020

They borrowed money yesterday , now we’ve to pay 20 naira each to pay back our cut 🧏🏾‍♂️

— 𝕄𝕒𝕔𝕙𝕒𝕒𝕝𝕒 𝕁𝕟𝕣. (@kusssman) December 16, 2020

There’s driver’s license.
There’s bank BVN numbers.
There’s local govt birth certificate.
There’s international passport.
Most Nigerians have at least one of this.

But the govt gave 200million people 2weeks to get National ID or their sims will be blocked.

New day. New madness.

— #OurFavOnlineDoc 🩺🇳🇬🇬🇧💎 (@DrOlufunmilayo) December 16, 2020

Looted funds is not circulating the government again. What do they do?? Bill their clients, N20 naira each. 😂😂😂This country no go kill me

— Pulsate (@king_pulsate) December 16, 2020

Thank you for this info Bashir.

I just dialled *346# on my phone and my NIN was displayed. (I registered for NIN some donkey years ago 😁)

It cost N20 (Twenty Naira). https://t.co/zFofi2pbiZ

— OMO IYA ALAMALA (@sama_on_point) December 15, 2020

It is my hard earned N20 so I pressed cancelled.
I go borrow SIM card use. pic.twitter.com/Xqar1JsMnS

— Aisha Yesufu (@AishaYesufu) December 16, 2020

Just paid N20 Naira for no reason. Zero Value added.

I wonder how much they will make from us this uneconomical period and where the funds are being siphoned too

— Damilare. (@darethetrigger) December 16, 2020

You have conveniently eliminated the 20 naira. Nice one, smart tech bro but no, that N20 is very important. https://t.co/yhPzA51g7U

— La Quica (@haqnificent) December 16, 2020

This tweet reeks of the usual Nigerian entitlement mentality… We want everything free or heavily subsidized and then throw up a ruckus when there's scarcity or inefficient service..
btw if this ussd code is free, who gets to pay the telecoms companies?

— 'NO NAME NI**A (@SolaSleem) December 16, 2020

I'm just here thinking of how much money must have been Spent since yesterday to check the NIN through USSD. N20 might be small but times millions of usage is millions of naira Fam.

— Zulqy™ (@zulqy77) December 16, 2020