From Gyang Bere, Jos
Responding challenges faced by the people of Plateau in enrolling for the National Identity Number (NIN) due to a limited number of enrolment centres, Governor Simon Lalong has secured the licensing of Plateau State as a service provider for the enrolment of Nigerians residing in the state.
The approval, which was conveyed to the governor by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, through the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr Aliyu Aziz, indicates that the Plateau State Government can now participate in the registration of citizens of the state into the National Identity Database in line with the provisions of the NIMC Act and other guidelines issued.
Governor Lalong said in a statement said he was excited that the state had secured the approval which will not only reduce the hardship faced by citizens in obtaining the NIN number due to the few centres available in the state but will also help the state ensure that all its citizens are captured in the national identity ecosystem.
‘Now that Plateau State has been granted the licence to provide data capture and enrolment services for the issuance of the National Identity Number, we are going to ensure that we create centres in all the 17 Local Government Areas and other strategic towns in order to ensure seamless, quick and efficient enrollment of all our citizens and other Nigerians residing in the state,’ the statement read.
He directed the Commissioner for Science and Technology to immediately work with the Plateau State Information & Communication Technology Development Agency (PICTDA) to further liaise with NIMC towards finalising arrangements and acquiring the necessary equipment for the successful implementation of the programme.
Governor Lalong mandated them to ensure that arrangement for suitable facilities are made and training of requisite manpower is done in record time in order to guarantee excellence enrollment of eligible persons within the state into the Nigerian Digital Ecosystem.
He appealed to the citizens of Plateau to exercise more patience while the process is completed and the facilities put on ground for the commencement of the enrollment services throughout the state. He also wants them to cooperate with the officials during the exercise and provide accurate data to avoid complications afterwards.
The licence granted to Plateau is for one year and is subject to renewal upon satisfactory performance during the period.
