The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on Monday shut down its office in the Alausa area of Lagos State due to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic. This is as the Federal Government has approved the use of agents in the National Identity Number (NIN) registration process.

Tribune Online gathered that NIMC shut down its operations for the day and asked people to return the next day.

It would be recalled that the Federal Government recently gave Nigerians two-week ultimatum for the registration and linking of National Identity Number (NIN) to mobile numbers, otherwise risk their SIM cards being blocked.

In the early hours of Monday, an official of the commission who addressed the people present at the office explained that there was an instruction to shut down the office due to the crowd that was likely to increase the vulnerability of the people to the deadly coronavirus disease.

He further explained that there is a spike in the number of cases in the state specifically and the country at large; hence, the need to take precaution and adhere strictly to COVID-19 protocols.

Meanwhile, NIMC headquarters on Monday revealed that due to overcrowding issues at most of its enrolment centres across the country, the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy has approved the appointment of agents to support the agency in the National Identity Number (NIN) registration.

Speaking to the Nigerian Tribune exclusively on overcrowding issues noticed at most of its enrolment centres nationwide, spokesman of NIMC, Kayode Adegoke explained that the deadline didn’t just come up this year.

According to the NIMC spokesman, “The ultimatum to get National Identity Numbers (NIN) was first raised last year September. It was reiterated in March of this year and also reiterated in August of this year, that anybody without NIN will have his mobile number deregistered.

“However, due to the crowding noticed at some of our enrolment centres, the Honourable Minister of Communication and Digital Economy has approved the appointment of agents to support our enrolment centres.

“Very soon, these agents will come up and act as support to our enrollment centres, thereby reducing the crowding noticed today.

“The agents will act on-behalf of NIMC and help us carry out the enrollment process. So everybody will not need to flood our enrolment centres since some offices of these agents will be closer to them than our enrolment centres.” (Text, excluding headline, courtesy Nigeria Tribune)

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