Third from the right: DG/CEO NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Aziz and AVM Lawal Shittu Alao, flanked by Hajiya Jamila Ahmad of NIMC, Com. DH Moses, Dr. Ba Umar of NIMC, Air Com. HI Alhaji, Brig. Gen. AU Kuliya and Brig. Gen. LA Adegboye, (1st & 2nd right) on the sidelines of the event

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has called on all security agencies to work in synergy towards curbing the current security challenges facing the country, by using Data Management systems.

The Director General/ CEO of the NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Aziz made the call at a four day annual exercise on Joint and multi-Agency training in Internal Security Conflict also known as “Haske Biyu” on Monday, in Jaji, Kaduna State.

While delivering a paper titled “Data Management & National Security in Nigeria: Challenges and Way Forward” at the Armed Forces Command and Staff College, Jaji, the NIMC DG urged security agencies and other parastatals/agencies that play key roles in securing the country, to execute their functional responsibilities in a way that will benefit and strengthen the security of the country.

Engr. Aziz called on the security agencies to intensify efforts to secure the borders of the country which is their primary responsibility, while NIMC works on enrolling all Nigerians and Legal Residents into the central National Identity Database and issuing them the National Identification Number (NIN), as part of its mandate to create the National Identity Management System (NIMS).

He noted that data management on National Security will allow for data sharing and cross referencing, provide insights for faster action and good governance, actionable information for decision making as well as identification and authentication avenues for individuals to assert their identity.

The DG/CEO NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Aziz, delivering his presentation

“It is my sincere opinion that the focus and effort of security agencies should be directed at making Nigeria safe. The insecurity in Nigeria can only be tackled if all security agencies and parastatals that play key roles in National security work in synergy to ensure that the borders are highly secured.

“Right now Nigerians are not safe; neither do they believe that the security community has the capability to make us feel better. Security agencies must perform their functional responsibility of manning the borders, so that NIMC will not be blamed for enrolling unlawful foreigners into the National Identity Database,” he said.

According to him, the NIMC works in collaboration with the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), to ensure that anyone who presents him/herself for enrolment is indeed a Nigerian or legal Resident.

He however noted that you cannot take away the fact that there are dubious persons who will always find a way to enter the country, obtain false identity documents and present themselves as Nigerians for registration into the NIDB.

Engr. Aliyu Aziz while acknowledging that no security agency can effectively shoulder the responsibility of securing the country, called on the personnel present at the border to stop working independently, but embrace inter-agency relations.
Speaking also, the Commandant, AVM Lawal Shittu Alao, noted that the four day annual exercise, which commenced on Monday, 1st April, will end on Thursday 18th April, 2019.

He explained that the exercise was designed to promote inter-agency cooperation and synergy, broaden participant’s knowledge and understanding on the complex nature of internal security and low intensity conflicts.

“The exercise ‘Haske Biyu’ is also an avenue through which the college proffers possible solutions to emerging internal security challenges which is why critical agencies like the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) were invited to tell us what they are doing as regards identifying Nigerians and Legal Residents for the purpose of verification,” he added.

Cross-section of participants at the event

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