The National Identity Man
agement Commission has  said that it had set up no fewer than 404 enrolment centres nationwide.
The commission also said that cards were currently being issued at its state offices and the FCT.
The NIMC Director-General, Mr. Chris Onyemenam, made this known in an interview with newsmen in Abuja.
Onyemenam further said that efforts were ongoing to ensure that enrolment and card collection centres were established in local government areas that had not been provided with these services.
” The NIMC currently has over 404 enrolment centres nationwide and is working tirelessly to ensure that more of such centres are opened in all of the 774 local government areas.”
”The card builds a window to a social security benefit system and, therefore, it is a card every Nigerian should get.”
He urged all Nigerians to avail themselves of the opportunity of enrolment into the National Identity Database and be issued a National Identification Number (NIN), which he described as the single version of truth and the foundation identity”.
The director-general noted that NIMC had published newspaper advertorials indicating that the use of the NIN would become mandatory as from September 1, 2015, for all transactions offered by applicable government institutions.
Onyemenam added that the provision of the NIMC Act of 2007 states that transactions such as application for and issuance of an International Passport and opening of individual or group bank accounts, must be done with NIN.
”Any government agency, institution, bank, insurance company and all other institutions offering services or involved in transactions requiring the identity of an individual must first demand for the NIN.
”Any individual, institutions or body who fails to comply with the above has committed an offence under section 28 of the NIMC Act.”
He urged Nigerians to appreciate the full import of the NIMC mandate and understand that the three-decade-old problem of identity management in Nigeria had been resolved since 2012.
Onyemenam advised all Nigerians to avoid crowding the centres as NIMC would send an SMS to all enrollees whose cards were ready for collection.
He explained that anyone whose card was ready would receive an SMS to pick his /her card where he had registered.
Outlining the collection process further, he said: ” You must have received an SMS from NIMC.
”Go to the NIMC collection centre indicated in the SMS sent to you. (Take your NIN/Transaction Slip along).
”Receive your National e-ID Card in a sealed envelope. Open the envelop; take out the card, and sign on the space provided at the back.
”Do a Biometric Verification to confirm that it is your card. This also confirms that the card has been properly printed.
He said that, ”after biometric verification, you will be required to enter a four-digit number chosen by you to activate your National e-ID Card, adding that there is the provision for fund loading at the NIMC collection centre, as one can also do actual cash loading at any branch of Access Bank nationwide.”
The source reports say that NIMC targets about 100 million Nigerians for enrolment and card issuance.