The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) has called on those who want to apply for their international passports, whether it is their first application or a renewal, to ensure that the data they submit matches that of their National Identification Number (NIN).

The NIS issued this piece of advice via a statement on its verified Twitter handle so as to guide against Nigerians having problems during their passport application process.

“Before you begin your passport application process, it is important that the data you are submitting to/with us is EXACTLY the same as that on your NIN,” the NIS tweeted.

The government agency in charge of border security and migration management in Nigeria also provided information on how Nigerians can confirm the accuracy of their NIN and its data.

“Here’s how to verify that your NIN and its data are “good to go”:

Download, set up and launch the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) mobile app on your Android or iOS device.

Log in by supplying your PIN on the lock screen.

In the home menu, select the “GET VIRTUAL NIN” option.

Read through the “Enhance Data Privacy Agreement.”

Click on the button with a “+” sign at the bottom right corner of the screen to kick off the VNIN generation process.

Tap on either the “Scan Enterprise’s QR Code” or “Type Enterprise’s ID”.

You can simply tap the “Type Enterprise’s ID” and supply the Youverify agent ID or agent code 471335.

The app generates a virtual NIN for you specifically with the enterprise alone. Forward this code to the enterprise for verification.

Lastly, you’ll receive a notification once the verification is completed by the enterprise or agent.

Meanwhile, the NIMC has effectively discontinued the previous NIN verification procedure, replacing it with a more secure tokenized version of the same process but with few differences.

The NIN tokenization adds an extra layer of security as it protects individual data privacy through an encrypted coded representation of NIN.

This number can be used to carry out verification rather than the individual providing their actual NIN itself.

Established by the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007, the NIMC has the mandate to establish, own, operate, maintain, and manage the National Identity Database in Nigeria.

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