The Federal Government has ordered immediate closure of the headquarters of the National Identity Management Commission in Abuja.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy , Isa Pantami , who gave the order , also directed the NIMC to open 20 locations in the Federal Capital Territory in order to halt the crowds that gather at the commission ’ s headquarters daily in a bid to get their National Identity Numbers .

NIMC spokesman , Kayode Adegoke , announced the closure of the commission ’ s headquarters in a statement issued in Abuja .

He said 20 centres were reactivated within the FCT to make the process of NIN enrolment much easier for applicants effective Monday , January 18 , 2021 .

The commission advised members of the public , residents and visitors to the FCT wishing to enroll for NIN to use any of the 20 NIMC centres .

The Federal Government had ordered telecommunications companies to deactivate the telephone lines of subscribers who failed to link their Subscriber Identification Modules with valid NINs .

It gave subscribers with NINs till January 19 to link their NINs with their SIM cards, while subscribers without NINs have until February 9 to do so .

Punch