Forgetting your NIN, or losing every copy of it, does not mean starting over. A short USSD code brings it back by text message.
Check your NIN status online is the wider guide this fits into, if the code below does not resolve things.
When USSD retrieval works
This route is for retrieving a NIN you already have but cannot recall or find written down anywhere. It is not a way to enrol for a new one, and it will not help if your enrolment itself is still pending.
It also will not help if the phone number tied to your NIN is no longer active. In that case, a visit to NIMC or its self-service channels is the more realistic route.
The code to dial
*346# works on all networks. Dial it from the phone number linked to your NIN, not just any line you happen to be using.
You should get a text message back with your NIN. Save it somewhere safe immediately, such as a notes app or a written record, rather than relying on your phone's message history alone.
The whole exchange usually takes moments once the code connects. If it hangs for a while, try again rather than assuming it has failed outright.
The fee
The service costs ₦50, taken from your airtime balance. This is up from a lower figure, as part of NIMC's wider fee revision on 2 May 2025; older guides that predate that change may still show the previous amount.
Make sure you have enough airtime before you dial, since a failed attempt due to low balance still wastes your time.
Airtime rather than data or a subscription bundle is what covers this, so a data-only line will not help you here.
If the code fails
A failure usually means the phone number is not the one linked to your NIN record, rather than a problem with the code itself. Confirm which number you actually enrolled with, including an old line you may have since replaced.
If you are sure the number is right and it still fails, checking your status online or contacting NIMC directly is the next step. A different phone, if you can borrow one on the same number, is worth trying before you assume the record itself is at fault.
After you retrieve it
Once you have your NIN, printing the improved slip or reprinting a lost one covers getting a physical copy again.
Write the number down in more than one place this time, so a repeat of the same problem is less likely. A password manager note, a message to yourself, or a physical notebook all work; the point is not relying on a single slip of paper again.
Common mistakes
- Dialling from the wrong phone number. The code is tied to the number linked to your NIN, not any phone you own.
- Assuming the fee is the older, lower figure. Confirm at nimc.gov.ng/fees rather than relying on an old guide.
- Not saving the response immediately. Copy the NIN somewhere safe as soon as it arrives.
- Trying repeatedly with no airtime. Top up first, since each attempt is charged.