By Vivian Onyebukwa
The frenzy and anxiety with which Nigerians are struggling to beat the deadline for the National Identity Number (NIN) enrolment have triggered a range of reactions and narratives..READ FULL CONTENT>>>>>>
They encounter obstacles and frustrations while attempting to secure their NIN within the timeframe. They recount tales of enduring long queues, grappling with technical glitches, and being compelled to part with money to expedite the process. Stories of being coerced to offer bribes to officials to secure their NIN abound.
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) was established in 2010 to oversee the management of the National Identity Database in Nigeria and allocate unique NINs to all citizens and legal residents. However, the process has been fraught with challenges, including inadequate infrastructure, poor network connectivity, and bureaucratic inefficiencies.
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Criticisms have been directed at both the government and the people. While some question the necessity of imposing deadline for NIN enrolment, others apportion blame to Nigerians for their tendency to procrastinate and disregard government directives until the 11th hour.
Additionally, concerns have been raised about the government’s failure to adequately supervise the enrolment process to curb all forms of malpractices, including charging fees for what should be free service.
“Why would Nigerians wait till the last day before they obey instructions by the government? A very long period of grace was given for this exercise. Now they are rushing because there is a deadline to it. That is why you have much crowd at the banks and telecoms offices,” said Lanre Olusola, a building contractor.
Saturday Sun gathered that enrolment for NIN is free as the government made arrangements for adequate funding of the exercise. However, a survey carried out by our reporters showed that forms meant for the personal details of those wishing to enroll for NIN are sold for between N200 and N500 at some local government offices. Thereafter, the person goes for capturing, and the appointment could be an average of one week, depending on location and the agreement reached between the person and the officials. In some cases, they have to part with money to secure appointments for capturing not exceeding one week. This situation, our reporter gathered, is common among those who are desperate to retrieve their lost SIM cards and those who already have their telephone lines blocked by their network operators. Sometimes, it takes about four weeks from the time of purchasing the form to the time of getting the NIN.
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For those who do not have the patience to go through the time-consuming and tedious process, they have to process their NIN through privately registered companies for the exercise at a fee ranging from N5, 000 to N10, 000.
“After hearing all that people are going through to get their NIN, I decided to go to a private company where I met a large number of people who also came for their NIN. After waiting for about two hours, I was attended to, but it cost me N8,000. I got it in two days.”
There are, however, exceptions. Saturday Sun found out that even through the official channel, one could get the NIN within two days at a little cost. A lady who narrated her experience on condition of anonymity disclosed that it took the intervention of some influential persons to reach the official who handled her enrolment swiftly.
“On several occasions, I was told by the staff in charge that there was no network. This happened severally until I got frustrated, so I had to report to someone before they asked me to come back. When I got there, I was attended to, but was warned not to let anyone know that I was attended to. Eventually, I got my NIN in two days after parting with N2,000,” the lady disclosed.
Rose Akan, a Lagos-based teacher, also shared her experience. She told Saturday Sun: “I suffered before I was able to get my NIN because I needed it urgently to link my telephone line and bank account. When I went to my telecom service provider at Okota, Lagos, I met a lot of people waiting to be attended to. Before it could get to my turn, it was late, so we were asked to go home that day. I decided to use the private service providers. When I got there, I was told to provide my BVN-generated NIN which I did not have. I went back to my telecom service provider and they checked and said they couldn’t find it, but referred me to my bank. It was my bank that provided it. So, I decided to use the private service provider where I paid N5,000 and I got in two days.”.READ FULL CONTENT>>>>>>
