By Francis Ogwo
Telecommunication companies have been licenced to register applicants for the National Identity Numbers(NIN).
This is according to an announcement by the Nigerian Identity Management Commission (NIMC) while stating that the measure is to help reduce the large crowd that besieges NIMC offices across the country for registration with the risk of contracting the Covid-19 disease.
The disclosure was made by the Director-General, NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, on Tuesday during a question and answer session on measures taken by NIMC to address the complaints made by citizens and the crowds at the commission’s offices.
Aziz pointed out that mobile network operators had been empowered to also give identity numbers. This is in addition to the licensing of the private and public organization by the commission to provide NIN.
The NIMC boss said, “We have licensed private and public sector organisations including telcos (telecommunications companies) so as to create more centres.’’
Recall that the Federal Government had directed that telecommunication companies to block from their network, any SIM that is not registered with valid NINs with effect from December 30, 2020.
However, following public outcry, the government gave 6 weeks extension to subscribers without NIN from December 30, 2020, to February 9, 2021, and 3 weeks extension for subscribers with NIN from December 30, 2020, to January 19, 2020.
