Minister of state for Health, Olorunnimbe Mamora, has hinted that the ongoing registration of the National Identification Number (NIN) may be suspended due to the rise in the number of Covid-19 cases in the country.
The NIN registration has been made a condition for using telephone services in Nigeria.
The rush to have the NIN registration and integration with SIMs before the expiration date of February 9, has caused huge crowd gathering at different registration centres across the country.
There are indications that the surging cases of COVID-19 in the country may be linked to the rush for NIN registration.
As at January 10, the reported COVID-19 cases in Nigeria stands at 100,087 cases, with 1,358 reported deaths.
Mamora while on a television interview said it would be wise if NIN enrolment and registration is suspended.
He told Channels Television Sunrise Daily that: “I don’t feel good looking at the picture where people are gathered in multitude; it’s like a super-spreader event which we don’t like. But I’m also aware that the relevant ministry which is the communications and digital economy is looking at this.
“My understanding is that the whole process may be suspended so as to reorder the whole process in terms of management of the crowd because it was never intended that it would become a rowdy process like that.
“We have a duty as government to ensure that people are protected; we also have a duty to ensure people comply within the limit of what is good for the society at large.”
