The Federal Government has approved the setting up of a National Identity Number (NIN) enrolment centre at the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs specifically for members of diplomatic corps.
The desk will be set up tomorrow, Tuesday, a statement by the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim Pantami, said on Sunday.
“This enrolment centre will provide support for members of the Diplomatic Corps and will be managed by the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, through the National Identity Management Commission,” Pantami said in the statement signed on his behalf by his technical assistant, Dr Femi Adeluyi.
He said the centre was being set up based on the request of the Minister of Foreign Affairs, Geoffrey Onyeama, in order to simplify the process for diplomats.
NIN is mandatory for diplomats who will reside in Nigeria for a continuous period of two years or more, the statement said.
Daily Trust reports that the unique identity number is also mandatory for all other lawful residents in the country as stated in Section 16 of the National Identity Management Commission Act 2007.
The law has made it mandatory for Nigerians and legal residents to obtain a NIN since 2007.
However, compliance has been low, until recently.