The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote has reaffirmed the agency’s dedication to addressing challenges hindering the establishment of a comprehensive and widely accepted national identification system.
She said this is despite the varying challenges faced by the commission, ranging from infrastructure constraints to logistical challenges in NIN enrollment processes.
According to a statement signed by the DG technical adviser on media, Ayodele Babalola, on Thursday in Abuja, Engr. Abisoye stated this during a Senate Committee meeting on National Identity and National Population.
The statement said the meeting, chaired by the committee’s Deputy Chairman, Senator Gbenga Daniel, was to discuss some challenges currently faced at the commission and strategies to address them.
In her remark, the NIMC boss expressed gratitude to the committee for its proactive engagement and invaluable insights and reaffirmed NIMC’s readiness to collaborate with relevant stakeholders to achieve its objectives.
She assured the committee of NIMC’s determination to implement the recommendations arising from the discussions.
The statement read partly, “The director-general’s participation in the Senate Committee’s meeting reflects NIMC’s commitment to uphold the highest standards of transparency and accountability. And stakeholder engagement in its efforts to strengthen Nigeria’s identity management infrastructure.”
She added, “The meeting underscored NIMC’s unwavering commitment to overcoming the challenges and delivering on its mandate of providing a robust and universally recognised national identification system for Nigeria.’’
It added that Coker-Odusote highlighted ongoing initiatives, aimed at enhancing service delivery, improving operational efficiency, and expanding the reach of NIN enrolment services across the country.
According to the statement, the committee’s chairman highlighted NIMC’s critical role as the country’s prime data parastatal, stressing its implications for security, planning and national development.
“He therefore stressed the need for teamwork and national interest in the operation of the commission and pledged Senate’s support to finding sustainable solutions to the challenges facing NIMC,” the statement concluded.
In the recent past, Nigerians have expressed strong dissatisfaction over the strenuous enrollment process at the registration office of the commission to document their details for their National Identification Number.
Many applicants, either seeking to obtain the NIN for the first time or modifying their data, have had to endure hardship to fulfil the mandatory obligation to link bank accounts and telephone numbers.
Late last year, the Central Bank of Nigeria directed a ‘Post No Debit’ restriction on all bank accounts without a Bank Verification Number and NIN effective April 2024.
“The BVN or NIN attached to and/or associated with all accounts/wallets must be electronically revalidated by January 31, 2024,” the bank added.
Nigerians also have to present their NIN to obtain or renew passports at the Nigeria Immigration Service offices.
Similarly, many examination bodies, including the Joint Admission Matriculation Board, have also made it compulsory for candidates to present their identity number for registration and identity validation purposes.
