By John Ikani
The Consulate-General of Nigeria in New York, Amb. Lot Egopija has directed Nigerians living in the United States of America to register for the National Identification Number (NIN).
Egopija conveyed the directive at a hybrid Town Hall meeting held at Nigeria House in New York for Nigerian nationals within the jurisdiction.
The New York Consulate is one of Nigeria’s four diplomatic representations in the U.S., and Egopija said everyone within its jurisdiction will be enrolled into the database.
According to him, the directive was from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
He said the exercise will kick off as soon as the Consulate concludes arrangements with the NIMC.
What you should know
There’s been a surge in the number of Nigerians registering for their NIN since the government announced in December 2020 that any mobile phone subscriber without a NIN will have their SIM cards blocked in a matter of weeks.
The deadline has since been moved six different times, with the latest one scheduled for October 2021.
The extension was done to accommodate registration of foreigners, diplomatic missions, Nigerians in diaspora, and Nigerian residents in hard-to-reach remote areas.
