Doctors in Nigeria have criticized a mass national identification registration policy, involving tens of millions of citizens, as Covid-19 cases and deaths rise in the country.
As Covid-19 cases rise in Nigeria, a government policy is creating crowds and chaos
Doctors in Nigeria have criticized a mass national identification registration policy, involving tens of millions of citizens, as Covid-19 cases and deaths rise in the country.
Nigeria which has Africa’s largest population has recorded about
half of its more than 140,000 cases in the last 10 weeks, according to data from John Hopkins University.
“The number of cases has continued to rise, and it is putting undue pressure on our health facilities,” Mukhtar Muhammad, the national incident manager of the Presidential Task Force (PTF) on Covid-19, told CNN. “If we are not able to control the number of cases or provide more facilities, I am afraid certainly it is only a matter of time before the system becomes overwhelmed.”
LAGOS – The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Dr Isa Pantami has hinted that arrangements are ongoing to replace the Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) with the National Identity Numbers (NIN) by the Federal Government.
Disclosing this to newsmen shortly after a tour of telecoms operators and NIN licensees recently, Pantami said President Muhammadu Buhari has been briefed on the on-going NIN registrations.
Pantami who said the President was happy with the conducts of the exercise so far, added he had also briefed the National Economic Sustainability Committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on the imperative of replacing BVN with NIN.
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Poor infrastructure slowing down NIN enrolment Mustapha Temidayo
Last year, the Federal Government inadvertently activated the panic button when it gave a timeline to subscriber identity module (SIM) and National Identity Number (NIN) linkage. Several millions of SIM cards are yet to be linked but the Director-General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Aliyu Aziz, says NIN enrolment is an ongoing process. Though the Federal Government has extended the SIM-NIN sync deadline from February 9 to April 6, Aziz says the Standing Committee and Ministerial Task Force have the responsibility to advise the Federal Government on whether or not to further extend the deadline. He spoke with reporters, LUCAS AJANAKU was there.
Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Dr Isa Pantami
The Federal Government has stated arrangements are ongoing to replace the Bank Verification Numbers (BVN) with the National Identity Numbers (NIN).
The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy Dr Isa Pantami, who disclosed this to newsmen shortly after a tour of telecoms operators and NIN licensees in Abuja, said President Muhammadu Buhari has been briefed on the on-going NIN registrations.
Pantami who said the President was happy with the conducts of the exercise so far, added he had also briefed the National Economic Sustainability Committee headed by Vice President Yemi Osinbajo on the imperative of replacing BVN with NIN.