Although the deadline for NIN registration across the country has been extended from December 30 to January 19, 2021, thousands of Nigerians still assembled at NIMC registration centres across the nation to beat the ultimatum, defying the COVID-19 protocols amid a second wave of the virus in the country.
In order to address this situation, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has adopted the “booking system” for applicants to obtain their National Identity Number (NIN).
A statement released yesterday by the commission’s Head of Corporate Communications, Mr Kayode Adegoke, said it adopted a couple of measures to contain the spread of the COVID-19 pandemic while ensuring its services to Nigerians were not entirely interrupted
Adegoke explained that the recent Federal Government’s policy which requires mobile network subscribers to update their SIM registration with a valid National Identification Number (NIN) has occasioned a huge demand for the NIN with a crowd visiting the NIMC Enrolment Centres nationwide.
“Mindful of the second wave of the COVID-19, which continues to severely affect public health and cause unprecedented disruptions, the commission wishes to announce that it has adopted a couple of measures to contain the spread of the virus while ensuring its services to Nigerians are not entirely interrupted”, Adegoke stated.
The NIMC spokesman said: “Effective December 30, 2020, attending to applicants would be based on Booking System. For bookings, applicants are to visit any of the NIMC Offices closest to them during stipulated business hours (9 am – 1 pm).
“Although the policy has been in place since 4th February 2020 applicants are now crowding all the centres. Personal Information would be collected for the sole purpose of scheduling an enrolment appointment. Please do not include any personal information other than what is required by the booking register.
“Once admitted into the office, a Number-Issuing queue management system will be in place to ensure orderliness and strict adherence to COVID-19 Protocols.
“As a responsible Commission, we fully understand that safety comes first, as such, only individuals with facemask would be allowed entrance into our premises.
“We urge the general public to cooperate with us as we work assiduously to respond to the new normal.”
It will be recalled that the NCC had earlier this month mandated telecommunications operators in the country to block all SIMs without NIN and were initially given weeks to carry out the task but later extended due to outcry from Nigerians.
