¶ User Guide
¶ What is the Improved NIN Slip?
The Improved NIN slip is a digital token designed to be more user friendly and readily available to anyone issued a National Identification Number (NIN) in Nigeria.
The Improved NIN Slip is only valid as a laminated sheet in credit card size or slightly larger (for the Standard Slip). Any NIN Slip that does not clearly and visibly display the Aztec Barcode is considered invalid and has been illegally tampered with.
¶ Standard
¶ Premium
¶ How does it differ from the old one?
The older one is larger and less pocket-friendly, meaning that it is not very ‘portable’. It also has some extra requirements to have the contents verified.
The form factor is a 3rd of an A4 Sheet of paper and contained some information that was a bit much in this era of Data Privacy.
But it served its purpose as a veihicle for the issuance of the NIN.
The Improved NIN slip is thus an enhancement of that original document.
Both, for now, remain valid means of identification in Nigeria.
¶ How to obtain the INS
The Improved NIN slip may be obtained by one of 2 methods:
- During enrolment
- Self-Service (for older NIN slip Holders)
This option is available to all NIN holders who may access the portal either via their Smartphone, via a USSD call or soon via an SMS callback.
¶ How to use the INS
Wherever the NIN Slip is presented, it shall be accepted as a valid means of identification anywhere in Nigeria, on the condition that:
- The Aztec Barcode is scanned using the NIMC MWS MobileID application EACH AND EVERY TIME it is presented
- The verifier does not make a photocopy nor scan or take a picture of the NIN Slip belonging to another NIN holder
The ID Holder reserves the right to know who scanned their ID (NIN Slip) at any time. The Federal Government of Nigeria assumes no responsibility where the NIN Slip is not verified following these guidelines.
¶ Components of the INS
¶ Truncation Rules
Where a person’s names are longer than a certain length, in order to maintain consistency across NIN slips, and just as was obtained with the Polycarbonate National eID Card, the NIN Slip may be displayed with truncated names, suffixed with ellipses (…).
Where this is the case, the verification sheet will still display the full names of the person and should be seen as an exception.
¶ What is permitted and what is illegal
Permitted:
The owner of the NIN may:
- make as many copies as they wish, laminate and keep in several places
- present any one of these copies for verification
The verifier who is presented the NIN Slip by the owner of the NIN may:
- use the NIMC MWS MobileID to scan the barcode on the NIN slip
- log into the portal and print out the PDF of that verification.
Forbidden:
The verifier may not:
- scan or make a copy of the NIN Slip. This is considered replicating the ID Holder’s ID.
- take a screenshot of another person’s Identity that is not their own
- Modifying the layout or the contents of the Improved NIN Slip.
¶ How to verify the Improved NIN Slip
¶ Prerequisites - ID Holder
- The ID Holder must have been issued a NIN, and the NIN must be active.
- The ID Holder must be in possession of either the Standard or Improved NIN Slip
(the MobileID is discussed in a different section)
¶ Prerequisites - Verifier
¶ The Verification Process Flow
¶ The Verification Sheet
The verification sheet can be downloaded at the NIMC Portal. Login credentials are obtained within the NIMC MWS app. The person would need their UserID and an OTP from within the app.
Only the person who carried out the verification (if consumer) may have access to the document. The noted exception is an appointed Administrator of an Enterprise for whom the verifier worked for at the time of the transaction.
The verification sheet is an optional document that a verifier may print out containing the following components:
- Details of the ID Holder that was submitted for verification
- UserID of the verifier in several places, emblazoned as a watermark and in the table
- Transaction ID for the verification
- Type of verification made (NIN, BasicID, FullID or Virtual NIN)
- Verification Status