Identity commission to register 100
million Nigerians in 30 months - DG
The National Identity Management Commission
(NIMC) said on Thursday that it would capture 100 million Nigerians in the
newly introduced biometrics database system in 30 months.
Briefing newsmen, NIMC Director-General, Mr
Chris Onyemenam, said the gesture would ensure that the more than 100 million
Nigerians without official identity cards were captured.
Onyemenam said the commission would register
and issue a National Identity Number (NIN) and National Smart Card to every
Nigerian from 16 years and above.
He said that the central database would
capture all the detailed information about an individual.
He said the national identity database would
harmonize and integrate all disparate databases such as voters’ registration
information, driver’s license, sim registration and e-banking.
``The commission currently has a new reform
mandate to provide unique identification numbers for citizens and legal
residents to guarantee uniqueness through biometrics duplication.
``Nigeria lacks a comprehensive database for
its citizens as 75 per cent of the available identity documents are fake or
self-issued and they are sectoral silos without a common key.
``With a reliable national identity database
in place, challenges of security and fraud would be dealt with because it would
checkmate security threats.’’
Onyemenam said that the biometric database
would enable individuals to prove their identity in a dependable manner by
providing online and offline cost effective verification and authentication.
He said the project would provide standardized
identity attributes and foster the orderly development of an identity sector,
adding that it would ensure that Nigerians had a trusted National Identity Card
System from time to time.
He said that the commission had been working
with organizations such as INEC and communication providers to get the details
of Nigerians in that aspect.
``Everything is set for this project, the law
is in place, the capacity infrastructure is there and the public private
partnership is there to ensure that there is revenue that comes in for the
sustenance of the project. ‘’
Earlier, Mr Aliyu Aziz, the Director, Identity
Database Department, said that with the introduction of the biometric data base
number for all Nigerians, organizations could easily get information about
their staff.
``The introduction of this project means a
forensic security future for Nigeria because it will contain all the
information about a person and address the value preposition for proper
database.
``It will involve areas such as payment services,
transit, identity, economy, health and education. The card is authentic and
cannot be duplicated; so even if it’s stolen it will be useless,’’ he said.
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