The persistence challenge of long queue at most of the National Identity Number (NIN) enrollment centres in Lagos state, has led to many Nigerians falling prey to fake NIN agents in the state, LEADERSHIP has learnt.
Recall that the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) recently revealed that over 100 million Nigerians are yet to get NINs, as only about 90 million have unique identity number.
The major challenge as identified by LEADERSHIP during a visit to some of the registration sites in Lagos state (on 23rd of January, 2023) were mostly the issue of validation, as residents who initially registered with roadside NIN agents, had no other choice than to visit the accredited NIN offices to validate their NINs.
For instance, a business woman, Mrs Ronke Adeyemi, who was at NIMC office at Ikeja since 7:00am on Monday, the 23rd of January, 2023, told LEADERSHIP that he spent N5,000 to register her NIN with an agent in Ogudu road, Lagos state, only to find out that her NIN was not validated by NIMC.
“The agent who first captured me told me to pay N5000 for registration and validation of my NIN. I gladly paid it. In less than an hour, the agent had captured me, unlike spending half of my day at NIMC office, Ikeja, due to the unending crowd at that centre,” Adeyemi said.
Adeyemi did it in November 2022, but up till today, it has not been validated. “I discovered when I went to immigration office to start my passport process. My NIN wasn’t reflecting in their database. They however told me to go to NIMC’s office to validate it,” she stated.
A mechanic at Ikeja, Mrs Johnson Aaron, was also in the same predicament when he told LEADERSHIP that he is yet to link his SIM card to his NIN, due to the fact that his NIN is not reflecting at MTN’s data base.
Narrating his ordeal, Aaron said: “I paid N1000 to the an agent at Alagbado, Lagos . He actually printed the slip with my name and NIN number. I then took the slip to MTN office and found out that my NIN has not been validated.
“I later went back to the agent, but he told me to pay N1500 or visit NIMC office at Ikeja to validate it. I didn’t want to face the crowd, hence the reason I visited the roadside agent, but look at me now. What I am running from has finally catch up with me. I am number 90 on the queue, I had to patiently wait for my turn, because I have no other choice.”
Meanwhile, some of the NIN registration outlets visited by LEADERSHIP, revealed that they used to have access to NIMC’s server to register Nigerians. However, few months ago, when NIMC’s server went down, they couldn’t log in.
For instance, a NIN agent who spoke with LEADERSHIP anonymously said “We could not log in since when NIMC’s server went down. So, what we do is to collect N1000 to register Nigerians, print out the slip and tell them to go to NIMC’s office to validate it.
For those who still insisted that they cannot queue at NIMC’s office, she said, “We do request for N1500 from them. We will then send their NIN to an agent that has been accredited, and within three days, their NIN will be validated.”
However, in an interview with the head of corporate communication units, NIMC, Kayode Adegoke, he reiterated that NIN registration is free of charge, while urging Nigerians to visit the accreditation sites closer to them to register their NIN.
Adegoke revealed that NIMC in partnership with its licensed enrollment partners now has over 15,000 enrollment centres and over 29,000 enrollment devices deployed nationwide, while calling on Nigerians to visit the commission’s website to search for location closer to them.
“In Lagos for instance, there are about 48 accredited NIN registration centres in locations like Agbado/Oke Odo, Agboyi Ketu LCDA, Agege, Ajoromi-Ifelodun LGA, Alimosho , Amuwo-Odofin LGA, Apapa/Iganmu LGA, Ipaja, Badagry, Bariga, Epe, Ikeja, Eti-Osa, Ibeju LGA, Ikorodu, , Kosofe and Mushin LGA, among others,” he revealed.
The head of communication, however, re-emphasised that the commission has zero tolerance for any form of extortion and, as such, enjoins the public to report any case of extortion to the commission. “Information on all approved fees for other services is listed on the website as well. I also urge the public to look at the website to avoid being extorted. Nigerians can also report a case of extortion to the commission, because we frowns at it.”
The director-general of NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Aziz further revealed that the NIMC Mobile ID application, used by agent not accredited by the commission, has no database within the app, nor does it store information in flat files, while disclosing that the commission has made this app available to the public to reduce and eliminate any delay or challenge(s) in accessing one’s NIN.
“The public should be aware that the possession of a NIN slip does not amount to access to the National Identity Database, but that the NIN slip is just a physical assertion of a person’s identity. Under the data protection regulations, no licensed partner/vendor is authorised to scan and store copies of individuals NIN slips but rather authenticate the NIN using the approved and authorised verification platforms/channels provided,” he emphasised.
