If a bank or another institution asks for your NIN slip, a lost paper copy need not mean a trip to an enrolment centre just to get the document again. On 4 November the National Identity Management Commission shared a video walking existing number holders through a free download on their own phones.
The distinction between the number and the slip matters. The National Identification Number is the unique 11-digit number issued after enrolment. A slip documents the number already issued to its holder. Downloading another copy of that document does not create a new number, register someone for the first time or change their details.
The starting point in the demonstration is NINAuth, the commission’s mobile application. The commission directs people to the Android or Apple app store to obtain it. From within the app, the option labelled “Do More with NINAuth” leads to a menu which includes “NIN Slip”. Selecting that item begins the process for the document.
The commission says the holder must then complete a facial identity check. Once the app verifies the person, the download option generates the official slip and allows the holder to save it on the phone. Finding the menu by itself is not the final step. The check comes before the document can be saved.
Wednesday’s development was the publication of the walkthrough. The commission had already announced the free download in June. The document is issued by NIMC through the application. The guidance concerns the cost of obtaining this slip, and makes no promise that a different service such as changing a record is free.
What it means for you. If you already have a number and need another copy of your slip, start at the commission’s NINAuth download page and follow the link for your phone. You can perform the identity check yourself. Someone seeking a first number still needs the enrolment process, which includes biometric capture.