Right toLleft: the DG/CEO National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) – Engr. Aliyu Aziz with Group Managing Director, Leadership Newspapers- Mr. Abdul Gombewhen he paid a courtesy visit to the Leadership Newspapers Headquarters, Abuja.

The Director General/Chief Executive Officer, National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Aziz has tasked the media on informative reporting that would help educate Nigerians on the essence of identity management in the country.

Engr. Aliyu made the call when he paid a courtesy visit to the management of the Leadership Newspapers at their head office in Abuja on Wednesday, 17^th October, 2018.

According to the NIMC DG, theprimary mandate of the NIMC is to create a National Identity Database, issue the National Identification Number (NIN), General Multipurpose Card (GMPC) to all Nigerians and Legal Residents, as well as harmonise and integrate disparate data into the database.

He noted that it was therefore the role of the media to educate and sensitise the general publicon the importance of identity management, as against card issuance which was obtainable in the past.

“If the government or private sector does not know the true identity of the people they are dealing with, they will not be able to effectively deliver important services such as social safety net, agriculture, pension, security, education, among others.”

“Identity management is therefore a pre-requisite for a country’s social, economic, political progress and development, and the media must play their role byeducatingand informing Nigerians on the essence of identity management as well as the importance and benefits of the National Identification Number (NIN), which is used to populate the central database in the country.” Engr. Aziz said.

(Middle): the Director General/CEO National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) – Engr. Aliyu Aziz, with (left): Group Managing Director, Leadership Newspapers- Mr. Abdul Gombe and (right): Chief Operating Officer, Leadership Newspapers- Bamidele Fanimo when he paid a courtesy visit to the Leadership Newspapers Headquarters, Abuja.

He noted that “as all identity capturing agencies and private sectors work towards commencing the identity ecosystem in January, 2019 as approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC), the media shouldrise up to their responsibility and work with the Commission, so that they can jointly create awareness on the digital identity ecosystem.”

On his part, the Group Managing Director Leadership Newspapers, Mr. Abdul Gombe, who received the NIMC DGnoted that the media has a role and is ready to partner the Commission as the watchdog of the society.

“There is a new wind of change in NIMC, and there is no other way to educate the public on this new development than through the media. The resources of Leadership Newspaper is therefore at the disposal of the Commission to work with anytime, any day.”

Corporate Communications