NIMC Shuts Down Lagos Offices As Nigerians Flood Premises For NIN Registration

The National Identity Management Commission has shut down its Lagos State branches as Nigerians turned out in large numbers for National Identity Number (NIN) registration on Monday.

The Federal government through the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy had given the directive to telecommunications companies to within two weeks suspend phone subscribers who have NIN, thereby making it compulsory for all SIM cards to be linked to National Identity Number which is currently being issued by the National Identity Management Commission.

As reported by the PUNCH, the NIMC Spokesman, Kayode Adegoke, said that the decision became necessary to adhere to COVID-19 protocols as the country battled the second wave of the pandemic.

NIMC offices on Monday were overwhelmed by the number of Nigerians who turned up for their NIN registration making it rather impossible to observe the social distancing.

“Most people, who gathered at the NIMC office in Alausa, and other parts of the state were either not wearing face masks or not observing physical distancing, thereby flouting the protocol put in place by the government.”

Adegoke wrote, “It was only shut down today in order to adhere to the COVID-19 pandemic safety protocol. Enrollment would commence tomorrow but applicants would be given a tally confirming date of enrolment.”

Also, Lagos State Commissioner for Information and Strategy, Gbenga Omotoso, also confirmed that the NIMC shut down its offices in the state before officials of the Lagos State Safety Commission got to the crowded offices.

Omotoso said, “Officials of the Lagos State Safety Commission learnt that the crowd gathered there. So, they went there but before they got there, the people themselves had shut the place because they could no longer control the crowd.

” It was not the Lagos State Government that shut the place; Lagos State Government officials only went there to advise them that it was not good to encourage crowds at such a time like this. They were the ones who shut it down themselves.”

There had however been several comments regarding the deadline given for the registration, stressing on the need for an extension of the deadline.