By Maria Famakinwa

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Following the extension of dead line granted to subscribers by the Federal Government to enable them link their Subscriber’s Identification Module (SIM) cards to their National Identity Number (NIN), Nigerians have not been finding the process of registration easy as they converge daily at different network providers’ offices early in the morning to register their SIMs without observing COVID-19 protocols.
A statement by the National Task Force on NIN and SIM registration indicated that the Federal Government approved three weeks extension for subscribers with NIN from December 30, 2020-January 19, 2021 and six weeks for subscribers without NIN from December 30, 2020-February 9, 2021. The extension, according to the Task Force was to save Nigerians from the hassle of the earlier time frame.
Speaking on measures put in place to control the crowd who daily gather at different NIMC offices across the country, the spokesman for the Commission, Mr Kayode Adegoke, recently issued new instructions for applicants who want to obtain their NIN in his instructions titled “NIMC Adopts Booking System For NIN enrollment” Adegoke urged all applicants to use face masks, maintain social distancing and wash their hands while at the centres across Nigeria.
He also advised applicants to visit any of the NIMC offices closest to them during stipulated business hours (9am-1pm). His words, “Mindful of the second wave of the COVID-19 which continue to severely affect pubic health and cause unprecedented disruptions, the Commission wishes to announce that it has adopted a couple of measures to contain the spread of the virus whilst ensuring its services to Nigerians are not entirely interrupted. Effective from December 30, 2020, attending to the applicants would be based on Booking System. For Bookings, applicants are to visit any of the NIMC offices closest to them during stipulated business hours (9am-1pm). Once admitted into the office, a Number Issuing Queue Management System will be in place to ensure orderliness and strict.” he said.
However, hundreds of citizens have called out the Nigerian government to halt the mandatory NIN registration process until the coronavirus pandemic is hugely contained due to large crowd of Nigerians converging at different offices of network providers as well as the offices of National Identification Management Commission (NIMC) across the country.
When The Hope visited some offices of the network providers in Akure, Ondo State capital, none of them was ready to speak on the process as they disclosed that they were not allowed to speak to the press. Some subscribers who were there for SIM registration lamented the stress they had been going through for days without being able to register their SIMs.
A civil servant, Mr George Ibikunle, explained that they were not finding the SIM registration easy. He said,”You can see that subscribers with their NIN are jostling for registrations but it appears the crowd has overwhelmed the staff on ground. The people are not adhering to the COVID-19 protocols which is more worrisome especially with the spike of cases in the second wave. The date extension given by the government for SIM registration is not enough. The same government that wants to prevent the spread of COVID-19 second wave wants over 200 millions citizens to get NIN linked with their SIMs within weeks. I will advise the Federal Government to come up with better alternatives otherwise they will end up endangering the lives of citizens they are trying to protect, due to the deadly coronavirus.”
Sharing a similar sentiment, an architect, Mr Doyin Olusanmi, who also appealed to the authority concerned to work out modalities of making the SIMs registration easy and accessible to every subscriber, revealed that most Nigerians are yet to get their National Identification cards after years of registration. He said,” I am one of those who are yet to get the National Identity cards after five years of registration. I try to get my NIN through USSD from NIMC and I was charged N20 without getting the NIN. So was the experience of some of my friends with similar problem.
“I see it as a scam because by the time you multiply N20 with the number of people who will try the same process without getting the results, you will agree with me that it is a fraud, unless the service providers come out to clear the air on this, as it demands urgent explanation on why our money were deducted without realising the NIN.”
In the submission of another subscriber, Mrs Bolarinwa Balogun, she hinted that the NIN registration was confusing explained that though she had gotten her NIN card she could not find her NIN on it. Her words,”After checking my NIN card without finding my NIN on it, I had to call my husband who also checked through my NIN card but could not find my NIN. Later, my husband asked me to go and bring the first leaflet I was given when I went for my NIN registration. It was there I was able to find my NIN. Since the NIN card issued to us at the NIMC office is the permanent card, I think it should have all our information including the NIN.
“After resolving the NIN issue, I try to register my SIM to link my NIN by following the steps. Going to about two weeks, I am still expecting my network provider to send the message they promised to send to me when I did the registration using my mobile phone. Those I spoke to about it also told me that they are experiencing the same problem. That was why I said that the registration process was confusing. Before introducing this type of registration, network providers ought to have put their system in order for smooth registration rather than putting people under avoidable stress. Nobody is sure of the registration process because we are yet to get the feed back from the one done following the steps given.
“A neighbour, who went to NIMC office for her NIN told me that people were many there for the same reason including the aged ones whom she said were not finding the registration easy. We want the federal government to look for alternative means that will make it easier for subscribers to register, even with the three weeks extension for subscribers with NIN and the additional six weeks for subscribers without the NIN. It will not work out considering the number of people who are yet to register. Federal Government should please review the extension till the end of the year not only to allow all subscribers register their SIMs but to also reduce the number of crowd gathering at registration centres in order to prevent people from contacting coronavirus. ”
She added that the idea of NIMC SIM cards registration is meant for the good of the nation and appealed to those in charge to make it easy and safe for Nigerians, as she maintained that the two weeks ultimatum is unrealistic and will make many citizens incommunicado.