NIMC takes NIN registration to Wards in Oyo State

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Oyo State office, has taken the National Identity Number (NIN) registration to wards in the state in order to reach more Nigerians.

The Coordinator of the Commission in the state, Mr Olanrewaju Olubanwo told the newsmen in Ibadan on Wednesday that the initiative was to make NIN registration easier and more accessible for everyone, especially people in rural and underserved areas.

According to him, the initiative known as NIMC Ward Enrollment Project (WEP) is part of the government’s effort to expand NIN registration.

“WEP is a nationwide effort by the commission to take NIN registration directly to ward-level communities across Nigeria, rather than only at large centralised centres.

“It is a strategic initiative, by President Bola Tinubu, which mandated NIMC to enroll all Nigerians on National Identity Database, and ensure that Nigerians that are yet to be captured on the NIN are registered or enrolled on the database.

“Our targets are primarily the people that are not within the urban centre, because we want to take the enrollment to them. Even if they cannot afford transport.

“If they say because of distance they cannot come out, we are getting to areas that are very close to them. So that they can just come in and register,” he said.

The NIMC coordinator said that the exercise which commenced on Feb. 16 and expected to last for six weeks, would cover the entire 351 wards in the 33 local government areas in the state.

He stated that the commission’s target was to capture 95 per cent of the state residents within the six weeks.

Olubanwo also said that about 5,000 people have been registered across the 198 wards visited so far by front-end partners engaged by the commission.

“Our target is to capture two wards per LGA every week, that will be 66 wards per week from the 33 LGAs, so far we have captured about 198 wards out of 351 wards,” he said.

The coordinator further explained that the commission collaborated with the front-end partners to carry out the enrollment on its behalf.

“They move from ward to ward, from community to community, to ensure that those people that may not be able to come to the commission’s offices or designated centres in LGAs are not left out”.

He expressed concerns over low turnout of residents for the initiative, especially at the rural areas.

According to him, the commission is collaborating with the Natiobal Orientation Agency to seriously sensitise the puplic on the initiative.

He implored religious leaders, community heads, local government chairmen and media organisations to assist in creating awareness about the initiative.

Olubanwo, while underscoring the importance of programme, emphasised that NIN is required for various services like UTME, SSCE/NECO registrations, banking, passport application, and future welfare schemes.

The NIMC boss in Oyo further disclosed that not less that 3 million residents of the state have registered for NIN since the commencement of the programme in 2012.

He said that appointment of the incumbent NIMC Director-General, Mrs Abisoye Coker-Odusote, had enhanced the productivity of the commission.

Olubanwo said that NIN enrollment in the country, under her leadership had jumped to about 130 millions from 40 million registrants.