The Jigawa Coordinator of the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, Aminu Jakada, has expressed concern on the low enrolment for National Identification Number, NIN, in the state.
Jakada said in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria in Dutse on Saturday that only about 2.6 million people in the state have so far obtained the NIN.
NAN reports that Jigawa, which is the eighth most populous state in Nigeria, has a population of over 7,499,100 people as at 2022.
The Coordinator said that the enrolment figure was too low and urged citizens and legal residents to obtain their NIN.
“The problem we have now is that people are not coming out to register.
“It is only when we have an isssue like now that people are registering for JAMB that you see crowd in all centres.
“But immediately after the JAMB registration, everybody will stay at home until when something required them to obtain NIN that they will come again,” he added.
The NIMC coordinator appealed to traditional rulers in the state to assist the commission in sensitisating their subjects to give priority to obtaining their identity number.
According to him, aggressive campaign on the enrolment will speed up registeration of more citizens and legal residents in the state.
Jakada particularly appealed to Dutse, Gumel, Ringim and Hadejia Emirate Councils to emulate Kazaure emirate by establishing special NIN enrolment centres in their respective domains.
He explained that Kazaure emirate’s establishment of special NIN registration centres led to the enrollment of 75 per cent of people in the area, hence the need for the other four emirates to emulate the initiative.
The coordinator added that before the establishment of the centres by the Emir of Kazaure, Alhaji Najib Hussaini-Adamu, the area was lagging behind in terms of NIN enrollment.
According to him, the emirate in now leading with 75 per cent, followed by Hadejia emirate with 65 per cent of registered residents.
He added that the record of enrolment in Dutse emirate was 50 per cent, while Gumel emirate has 30 per cent and Ringim emirate, 20 per cent.
“Traditional institutions can assist us through sensitisation so that people will be more aware of the exercise and that will speed it up.
“We are calling on other individuals in the state who can afford to assist by establishing special centers in their respective communities to do so, in order to register more people,” Jakada said.