By Rabiu Sani-Ali

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), says it has so far enrolled more than 2.3 million persons in Kano State since inception of the programme in 2007.

The Coordinator of NIMC in the state, Mr Illo Sarkin-Yamma, made this known in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Kano.

He said that following the Federal Government’s directive that Nigerians should link their National Identification Number (NIN) with their SIM cards, the Commission had designated 52 centres for registration.

According to him, the aim is to fast track the enrolment of eligible Nigerians in the 44 local government areas of the state.

The coordinator said the centres had been equipped with modern gadgets designed to ease congestion and hasten the enrolment process.

According to him, the exercise is being conducted smoothly in compliance with COVID-19 safety protocols in all the centres across the state.

“There is rush by enrollees at the centres following directive by the Federal Government for Nigerians to link their NIN with their SIMs.

“Each of the 52 centres is currently enrolling between 100 and 200 persons daily. We have upgraded our services to enable more people to get enrolled.

“We make arrangements for the enrolees to come on a certain day for the exercise to reduce congestion,’’ he said.

Sarkin-Yamma said the Federal Government had approved about 203 private firms to facilitate smooth running of the enrolment process in the country.

While commending the Kano State Government for its support to the Commission, the director added that enrolment was free, warning residents to be wary of fraudsters.

Also speaking, Lawal Yahaya, the NICM Regional Director, said the Commission had adopted proactive measures to enhance access to its services across the country.

Yahaya advised Nigerians to adhere to guidelines set out by the Commission on enrolment to facilitate smooth conduct of the exercise. (NAN)