The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) issued 90.6 million National Identity Numbers (NINs) to Nigerians as of October 2022.
According to The Guardian’s investigation, the NIMC handed out 50.9 million NINs, or 56 percent, to male trainees, while 39.7 million, or around 44 percent, were given to women.
With 547,985 NINs issued, Bayelsa State continued to have the fewest identity numbers of any state in the nation. Other states in that cadre include Ebonyi (728 451), Ekiti (962 629) Taraba (1,309 346), Yobe (1,358 300), Cross River (1,029), Enugu (1,485, 844), Imo (1,526 967), Zamfara (1,554, 371), and Akwa Ibom (1,555 546).
Lagos is expectedly ahead of the pack with 10.2 million NINs issued. Following Kano are Kaduna with 5.36 million, Ogun with 3.77 million, Oyo with 3.62 million, Abuja with 3.1’9 million, Katsina with 3.11 million, Rivers with 2.73 million, Delta with 2.43 million, and Bauchi with 2.36 million.
Diaspora issuance is estimated at 274, 627 by NIMC, which noted that regional statistics showed a nearly equal distribution between the North and the South.
While more Nigerians continued to complain about numerous inaccuracies in their identity slips despite providing proper data, teething issues continued to negatively affect the effectiveness of the NIN operations.
Additionally, applicants stated that NIMC officials were coercing them into paying between N5000 and N7000 in order to register for NINs in Lagos and other places.
A few weeks ago, the Nigerian Army detained suspects in Niger Republic who were allegedly recruiting Nigerians for the NIN under the guise of NIMC personnel.
However, the identity management commission denied knowing the suspects and asserted that they were imposters.
In a statement, the director-general of the NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, claimed that individuals who had been detained were phony, as the Army had put it, and advised the public not to regard them as NIMC representatives.
Some enrollees at the Alausa, Ikeja office asserted that the procedure has remained hampered by anomalies despite the large number of Nigerians who had been recruited for the exercise.
Aviator Gabriel Adegboyega complained to The Guardian about the NIMC staff’s response time to work.
“I did my NIN in 2016 when I wanted to get my international passport, I lost the slip and went to Ikotun but I was directed to Ikeja from there. Getting here, I was told to register another NIN but on getting here I was told I can’t register another since I have gotten before…okay so what next? The workers here are the most annoying set of people.”
“After spending two weeks frequenting there without positive outcomes, I gained access into the office for the NIN, I queued for more than four hours and they said it’s time for them to go home at 2pm. No problem, no pressure, nothing, they were all gisting and now I am here again today.”
Another student, Coca-Cola contract employee Lawal Oladimeji, described his experiences in the following words: “This is the 6th time I am doing my NIN. I did it at my area of residence, invalid, there was a time Glo made the registration available as well, where we ought to buy a card of N1, 000 before they could register, which we did. We registered and I was issued a number… I needed to use it for some services and was told it wasn’t responding. I headed back to Glo office where I was told I have to rẹ-register. Angrily, I left the Glo office and headed to another registration centre, from there I was directed to Alausa, and I was attended to but was instructed to come back, I got the NIN on my second visit here.
“I needed to get a new SIM card, getting to Shoprite, I was told my name didn’t appear, I argued with them severally that, at least my picture is showing, give me the SIM they said no, I should go back to where I did my NIN… I came back here and was told my NIN has been suspended. Why is my NIN suspended, I still don’t get it!”
Oladimeji questioned how and why his NIN was revoked despite the fact that “I was not involved in any illicit activities.”
REMEMBER that it was announced approximately two weeks ago that NIMC might receive cash to upgrade its aging infrastructure as its database approaches capacity.
The President Muhammadu Buhari gave his assent for the funding required to replace the antiquated infrastructure at NIMC, according to Prof. Isa Pantami, Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, who made the announcement during a press conference for the Digital Nigeria Day 2022. He expressed hope that the money would be made available in the first quarter of 2023.
He said, “I obtained the approval of Mr President to replace their (NIMC) obsolete infrastructure, which we do hope will commence in early 2023.”
He added that the 2023 budget had a line item for this.
