The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), has directed its personnel across the country to give preference to, and enroll, all applicants sitting for the 2020 Unified Tertiary Matriculation Examinations (UTME).

The Director General, NIMC, Mr Aliyu Aziz, gave the directive on Thursday in a statement signed by the General Manager Corporate Communications, Mr Abdulhamid Umar, in Abuja.

Aziz said that the aim of the exercise was to ensure that all applicants sitting for the 2020 UTME are provided with their National Identity Number (NIN) in line  with the NIMC Act of 2007.

The News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), reports that the move is part of the collaboration between NIMC and Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), which had made the acquisition of NIN compulsory for applicants sitting for 2020 UTM Exammination.

“UTME and Direct Entry applicants are to be accorded special consideration in line with established Standard of the Enrollment processes that include capturing of the biometric and demographic data of any applicant before the issuance of the NIN.

“The exercise will also involve verifying the applicants at the point of UTME and Direct Entry registration. Where an applicant is below 16 years, such applicant will be required to provide the NIN of his/her Parent or Guardian”.

“They must confirm that all information supplied to the enrollment officer on the applicant’s monitor in front of them at the point of registration is correct,” he said.

Aziz, therefore, advised parents and guardians to guide their wards in carefully filling the enrollment forms to ensure names and date of birth are registered correctly.

He also enjoined school authorities and local education secretaries to inform and educate parents and students on the importance of obtaining their National Identity Number. (NAN)