Since the declaration of the mandatory enrolment for National Identity Number(NIN) by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) in December, Nigerians have flouted Covid-19 guidelines in a bid to obtain the identification number and link with their mobile numbers at the risk of being disconnected by telecommunication companies. However, it is believed that less than 50% of the eligible population have linked their mobile lines in line with the directives of the NCC.
Yesterday, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) said it has taken steps to manage the crowd in its offices across the nation to enable more Nigerians participate in the process by granting the telecommunications companies license to to register people.
Why this Matters
The registration process has been largely disorganised and messy from the roughshod nature of its announcement to the larger context of a worldwide pandemic which prescribes against large gatherings. While the need for uniform modes of identification stands, by taking advantage of the telcos and their scale will surely help simplify the process and broaden the scope. It’s also a welcome change as people have been exploited by corrupt officials who have taken advantage of the general desperation to take part in the registration process.
The deadline for linkage remains the 9th of February while documents needed for registration can be found here.