…Targets 78m by December, 2018

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has enrolled 28 million Nigerians into the National Identity Database and issued them the National Identification Number (NIN). The figure was reached on Wednesday January 10, 2018.

While announcing the figure, the Director General/CEO of the Commission, Engr. Aliyu A. Aziz also set a new target to enrol additional 50 million Nigerians and legal residents as well as issue them the NIN by December, 2018.
In December, 2016 when the enrolment figure stood at only 14 million, the NIMC DG had set the target to double the figure so as to capture 28 million Nigerians and legal residents into the database by December 2017, a target that was met few days after the end of December 2017.

According to him, the remarkable achievement could not have been possible, but for the dedication, commitment and sacrifices made by members of staff of the Commission on the one hand and the unalloyed support of government at all levels despite the economic meltdown recently witnessed in the country.

He also acknowledged the push for the mandatory use of the NIN from stakeholders and partners of the Commission in the private and public sectors, especially members of the Harmonisation Committee set up by the Federal Government and charged with harmonising all identification data.

“Indeed, their commitment towards the harmonisation process contributed to the growth of the database, as well as increase in the general public’s awareness about the NIN and its benefits,” Engr. Aziz said.

The Harmonisation Committee is made up of the about 23 Federal Government Agencies who are stakeholders in the identity sector.

Explaining that the NIN bequeaths citizens with a lot of privileges and benefits, the DG listed some benefits to include one-person-one-identity, ability to verify and authenticate individual’s identity, access to services, claims and entitlement and benefit from government social interventions.

Urging Nigerians to take advantage of the over 900 enrolment centres across the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory to enrol for the NIN, the NIMC DG said the Commission is set to commence enforcement of the mandatory use of the NIN for all identity based transactions in the country as enshrined in the NIMC Act No 23 of 2007.

The DG also stated that the Commission had recently gazetted and published supplementary regulations which consist of the set of principles, practices, policies, processes and procedures that would be utilised to achieve the desired objective of enforcing the NIN.

He also called on Nigerians to be patient as the Commission is working tirelessly to ensure that all Nigerians get their National Identity Cards. He further thanked the general public for their feedback which has helped improve the service of the Commission.

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