How to Print Your NIN Card Without Hassle

The National Identity Number, also known as NIN, is a number that identifies you and is issued to you by the National Identity Commission (NIMC).

It is a fact that a person’s identity is of great importance, and we have documents to that effect.

The NIN card is a requirement for every citizen to have, as it verifies your identity at any given time.

In this article, we will be looking into how you can print out your NIN card without having to wait tirelessly for your permanent identity card to be delivered.

Table of Contents

Who Needs a NIN Card?

Nigerian citizens aged 16 and above are required to have the National Identification Number (NIN).
Foreign individuals who have resided in Nigeria for two years or more must also have an NIN card.
Students, employees, and individuals seeking government services or benefits also need the NIN for identification purposes.

NINs are also required to recover or buy a new SIM card. Banks and online registration also require NIN cards. Recently, students who want to register for UTME must have a NIN.

Importance of NIN Card

The NIN card is used to recover your captured information from the National Identity Database.
For society, the NINs issued help provide accurate records about living and dead people in the country.
It helps track actual transactions and the movement of people within and out of the country.
It also helps confirm which individuals are actually in need of particular government services.
When it comes to accessing services like passport issuance, banking services, land transactions, insurance services, pensions, health insurance, payment of taxes, voter registration, and all government services, your NIN becomes necessary.
The NIN cuts down on the time needed to verify documents to properly identify you and access the services you require.
It prevents fraud (419), where someone else impersonates you and gets you into trouble.
NIN ensures you are properly identified when receiving health services, e.g., by verifying the actual blood types of blood donors at hospitals.

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NIN’s Integration into Immigration and Other Services

The ongoing database harmonization with other agencies and banks across Nigeria, with the announcement by the Nigeria Immigration Service making the NIN a requirement for obtaining a travel passport, further emphasizes the importance of every individual having his or her own NIN.

Eventually, all agencies and banks will be using your NIN for services and transactions.

Imagine you walk into an immigration office to apply for an international passport.

You are asked for information verifying your identity, and you just give them a number, and instantly, the immigration officials connect to the National Identity Database; all your required information appears on their computer screen.

They can only see information they are authorized to see. Easy and done, your identity is verified—no need to go get extra documents or spend more money just to prove who you are.

That is the convenience provided by your NIN.

It’s the same thing when you go to process a driver’s license; you only need to present your NIN and your identity will be verified.

Simply use your NIN on the NIN slip issued to you after enrollment, and relevant information about you can be pulled from the National Identity Database to verify your identity.

Even outside the country, your NIN remains valuable, and you can easily identify yourself with other proud Nigerians abroad.

The Nigerian government would have more accurate statistical data on its citizens living abroad.

All individuals in Nigeria should register for and have the NIN to establish their identity.

How to Enroll or Register for a National Identity Number (NIN) Card

Registration and enrollment can be done online on the NIMC website or at accredited walk-in centres. To register, follow these steps:

Go to your browser and go to the National Identity Management Commission website at nimc.gov.ng to download your enrollment form.
Then, fill out the form in block letters and proceed to the nearest Nimc enrollment centre.
Provide supporting documents, such as a valid ID card, birth certificate, or utility bill; any one of these documents will do.
The details of your application form will be verified for biometrics and the capture of ten fingerprints and facial images.
After which, your profile will be created and your national identification number will be provided.

How To Print Your NIN Card

At the beginning of the NIN registrations, Nigerians were given two different slips after registration: a coloured slip containing their national identification number and a black and white printout.

You will then be instructed to come back for the plastic ID card when you receive an SMS from the commission.

However, the process has now changed. Registering will give you a black-and-white printout containing your NIN number.

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) replaced the NIN plastic cards with NIN slips.

Here is how to print your NIN online without any hassle.

Download the NIMC mobile app on Apple or Google Play Store.
Register through the NIMC mobile app.
Pay for the NIN slip.
Download and print the NIN slip.

How to get your NIN slip using USSD

Dial *346*2*NIN# to get your login details.
Use the information to log in to NIMC.
On the left side of the page, click on either the premium or standard slip. If you might convert to an ID card later, the premium slip is the best option.
Click Pay with Remita to complete the payment and enter your debit card details (ATM card).
The original NIN slip will be downloaded to your device immediately after payment.

The online method saves you the hassle of queuing in long lines, which is a waste of your time.

Another Way To Print Your NIN Slip

You can print and laminate your slip to make it handy and easier to carry around. It is also a good physical means of identification that can easily fit into your pocket, purse, or wallet.

The QR code on the slip makes it easy for its authenticity to be verified by other people scanning it using the NIMC Mobile ID app on their phones.

Be careful not to leave copies (photocopies, image scans, and so on) of your improved NIN slips with anyone else; otherwise, you leave them with copies of your NIN and verification QR code as well.

So this is how you will go about it:

First, ensure you have enrolled and obtained your National Identification Number (NIN). You’ll also need your NIN when installing NIMC’s MWS Mobile ID app.
Go to the https://myportal.nimc.go.ng online portal.

If you have not already, download and install the NIMC MWS Mobile ID app on your mobile device.

On the app’s home screen, tap on the “I Need a Pin” button.
Take note of the “UserID” and “One Time PIN (OTP)” now displayed on the app’s “Get OTP” section.
Use the UserID and OTP to log into the myportal.nimc.gov.ng portal.
Go to the “Print Improved NIN Slip” section on the portal’s homepage. Make the relevant payment, then download your slip’s front and rear parts as a PDF document.

You can now print out the PDF document, cut it to the right size, fold it, and laminate your Improved NIN Slip if you like.

Conclusion

NIN card is important in verifying and identifying individuals who seek to use one of the Nigerian government services and immigration. It is integration-based and, therefore, streamlines the process to facilitate citizen verification spanning various sectors of society.

The article highlighted online registration methods and replacing plastic cards with printouts, among other issues. It also emphasised the NIN’s key role in ensuring the ease of accurate identification of citizens for different services in Nigeria. Now you have no excuse for not having a NIN.