NIN verification glitch blocks Nigerians from applying to National Skilling Project

Applicants for the Federal Government’s National Skilling Project have faced issues with National Identification Number (NIN) verifications on the application portal. This comes three days after the government launched applications via the Digital Training Academy. 

Multiple complaints showed that thousands of Nigerians seeking to benefit from the free digital empowerment programme have been unable to complete their applications. The public outcry showed their inability to access the dashboard after being locked out owing to the portal’s technical glitch.

The glitch appears to affect NIN verification during the sign-up process, which requires applicants to supply their NIN and phone number for screening and to receive their one-time password (OTP). Failure to complete this initial stage means applicants cannot proceed with their applications or access their dashboards.

Merged screenshots showing failed NIN verifications on the National Skilling Project application portal

To ascertain the claims, Technext ran a check using three different NINs and phone numbers, one after the other. All returned an “unable to verify NIN” notification.

The Federal Government’s National Skilling Project relies heavily on real-time National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) database lookups to screen applicants. While verifying NIN details is important to the application process, ensuring that the verification system works reliably is equally essential.

With thousands of Nigerian youths locked out, there have been widespread calls on social media for the Federal Government, specifically the Ministry of Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, alongside project coordinators, to urgently fix the integration glitches. 

There are also calls for the extension of the application window, and to implement background verification queues so that qualified Nigerians are not locked out of this critical national empowerment scheme. This ensures that Nigerians are not deprived of a social opportunity to learn digital skills and gain needed experience for their development. 

Also Read: Meta, FG launch AI Academy Nigeria with $5,000 startup prizes.

The National Skilling Project 

In its plan to help Nigerians nurture their skills, the federal government launched the National Skilling Project, a free initiative that offers a variety of skills in partnership with Coursera. The program is designed to help Nigerian youths improve their employability and opportunities in the digital economy.

Available information on the application portal’s homepage shows that the project will enrol 36,000 Nigerians in the programme, with training covering more than 10 skill areas across all 37 states. 

The National Skilling Project covers high-demand digital fields such as software development, cloud technologies, cybersecurity, IT automation, AI and machine learning and connected technologies. Others are fintech, parallel computing, quantum computing and natural language processing (NLP).

Young Nigerians, aged at least 18 years, seeking to acquire or improve digital and professional skills are eligible to apply. Students, job seekers and working professionals looking to enter the technology industry or upgrade their existing skills are also qualified. 

The application process was designed to be seamless. Applicants are expected to onboard on the official portal and complete NIN verification and their user profile. Then, they’ll take the mandatory online pre-assessment test. Upon passing or completing the assessment, successful applicants will unlock their learning track.