Collaboration with other Agencies for strong Database in the Country-NIMC

 

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) said it had begun harmonisation of operations with relevant federal agencies in the issuance of National Identification Number (NIN) for solid database in the country.

Chris Onyemenam, director-general, NIMC, said this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria on Tuesday in Abuja.

NIMC

He said the harmonisation process had reached advanced stage, and named the collaborating agencies as Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS) and Pension Commission.

Others, according to Onyemenam, are Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS) and Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development.

He said the commission was determined to create a strong national identity card database that would assist security agencies to track and curb corruption cases.

When completed, the synergy by the agencies would eliminate cases of double enrolment during registration for national data, he said

”It is expected that with the planned harmonisation, which will effectively link all MDAs’ biometric databases, citizens will not be required to have their biometrics taken every time by these institutions in the near future.

”Also, the MDAs will invariably act as valid agents to the NIMC, collecting their own data as well as providing data required for the issuance of the National Identity Number (NIN) by the NIMC,” he said.

The director-general said NIMC had concluded plans to provide pre-enrolment services on smart phones, which would provide citizens the opportunity to enrol, using their smart phones.

“This development will ensure that in the next couple of months, citizens of all ages would have completed their demographic enrolment before they proceed to NIMC Enrolment Centres for their biometric data capture to complete their enrolment.

“NIMC believes that this will help to decongest the enrolment centres as well as ensure that citizens enrol at their convenience as the cut-off date draws nearer,” he said.

He said that NIN was an 11-digit number assigned to an individual upon successful enrolment into the National Identity Database (NIDB).

“It is what represents the unique entry of a person’s personal information in the National Identity Database; once issued to an individual, that number cannot be used again,’ he explained.

He expressed satisfaction with ongoing distribution of the National Identity Card and the appreciation by Nigerians of its value.

”The public is greatly appreciating that NIN and not the card, is their identity.

‘’Accordingly, a task force has been set up by NIMC to ensure faster distribution of the card by increasing the number of Card Collection Centres across the country,” he said.