By Olabisi Olaleye
The Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Aliyu Aziz, has disclosed that the data growth for registered Nigerians is now 18.5 million this year and the figure is expected to reach 28 million by the last quarter of this year.
He described the current data growth as impressive especially as only 60 was recorded in 2012, seven million in 2015, 14 million in 2016.
Aziz, who briefed the media during a world press conference at the weekend in Lagos said that data is the currency of the digital economy and that the commission would soon license the Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Federal road Safety Commission (FRSC) and other agencies to register legal residence in the country and those in diaspora.
The DG also explained that the commission was aware of the complaints of Nigerians who have been registered but without cards to show for it. While appealing to Nigerians, he said that cards are not yet available for registered Nigerians but that the National Identification Number (NIN) is more important than the plastic card. He, however, cautioned that any Nigerian without NIN would be regarded as a non-Nigerian citizen.
“It is the duty of every citizen to enrol and obtain his or her NIN, which entitles one to be fully regarded as a Nigerian citizen,” he stated, adding that, “without NIN any claim of being a Nigerian citizen is doubtful; that is what the NIMC Act stipulates.”
NIMC was established by NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007, as an offshoot of the Department of National Civic Registration (DNCR) to create, establish and maintain a unique National Identity Database, register persons covered by the Act, assign a unique NIN, provide authentication platform for identity verification, issue General Multi Purpose Cards (GMPC) and harmonise and integrate existing identification databases in Nigeria
Aziz used the opportunity to clarify the misconception held in some sections of the society that NIMC’s primary role was merely the production and issuance of National Identity Cards to citizens. He added that the commission had met with several challenges including poor quality of data capture, legal framework peculiarities, political will and absence of central ID repository upscaling deficiency.
He maintained that enrolment would be a continuous process and is free, insisting that no one should be asked to pay for enrolment.