NIN Registration New Guidelines: Check How NIMC Booking System Works

Last updated on November 24th, 2021 at 06:26 pm

The newest guidelines for the National Identity Number (NIN) enrolment by the National Identity Management Commission have shown that NIMC means business.

However, there are lots of issues the commission isn’t addressing. It seems the management of NIMC is taking two steps forward, two steps backwards.

Is NIMC afraid of using technology to drive the registration as highlighted in some of the problems facing the national ID card registration process?

The information we received from Abuja is that henceforth applicants will have to abide by the fresh guidelines.

And here are the five things you need to know about the new NIMC guidelines:

1) NIMC now uses booking system for enrolment so as to contain the spread of COVID-19

2) The new guidelines take effect from Wednesday, December 30, 2020 across Nigeria

3) You will have to visit any of the NIMC Offices nearest to you during business hours (9am – 1pm).

4) At the registration point, you will be issued a tag using the Number-Issuing queue management system.

5) You will not have to wait if the number (tag) given to you exceeds the benchmark of registration on that day.

For instance, the officials already know how many applicants they can enrol per day, if 500 prospective applicants turned up and they can only enrol 100, tags will be issued to 100 people on a first come, first serve basis while others are mandated to vacate the NIMC premises.

Significance of the booking system:

It’s one of the measures to reduce the spread of the deadly pandemic ravaging the world, NIMC spokesman, Kayode Adegoke, said on Tuesday.

“Mindful of the second wave of the COVID-19 which continues to severely affect public 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.”

Why the last-minute rush?

Since the Nigerian Communication Commission (NCC) threatened to block any mobile line not linked to NIN, Nigerians have been thronging NIMC offices across Nigeria for registration.

It’s gathered that the total number of mobile network connections as of October 2020 was 207.58 million and only 43 million Nigerians have NIN.

This means that 164 million telephone users are at the risk of being deactivated on January 19, 2021 by NCC.

What Are Nigerians Saying About The New Guidelines?

The new directive by NIMC has not gone down well with hundreds of Nigerians. A check on social media (Facebook, Twitter) and comments online show that the commission has a long way to go.

To control crowds people should visit to get tally number? the management of NIMC should be sacked asap-Fula

I would have preferred the NIMC asking customers to sent a text with some basic details like name/number/town and get a booking reply on date and time for capture. If you have say 10 operatives in that centre and it takes say 20 mins for each capture, it would be easy to extrapolate. Is it that difficult?-.70

Create website where we can generate the eleven-digit by ourself.we are in computer area dont make people queue to go and contact the decease or virus-Chuks

Why can’t they issue booking numbers online? Why can’t people fill their form online then get issued a number and a date to come for biometric capture? So people should come and queue for tally numbers that the crooks there will hoard?

Nigeria is apparently a nation under the control of people whose only purpose and expertise in life is cattle herding.-WeeFree

Do not take NIGERIA BACK to 1970

1.) Enable online registration so people can enroll by filling digital data forms.

2.) Make hard copies of data forms & share in RURAL areas.

3.) Gather the COLLATED DATA & schedule appointments for verifications.#NIN @Gidi_Traffic

— VOICE OF THUNDER (@voxofjustice) December 29, 2020

Our thoughts:

The commission should sit up, put its portal into good use rather than adopting archaic registration system.

Prospective applicants should be able to access the NIMC portal (which has crashed multiple times), use an online booking system (just like airlines and some hotels do) and know when to visit the enrolment location. That way, you don’t have to trouble yourself about crowd control at enrolment centres.

At the end it's still gonna be wayo wayo highest bidder gets attended to first. Your ogas need to STOP sitting in the offices and go out there and see how people suffer to get captured… Una no fit do something good for ones..

— PHOTOGRAPHER – Swaag (@swaagsphotos) December 29, 2020

Have you been registered? Share your thoughts with us