The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued over 101 million National Identification Numbers (NINs) in Nigeria, with 56.7% allocated to males. In the past six months, the commission added 5.9 million NINs to the database, bringing the total to 101,013,279. The highest enrollment figures were recorded in Lagos State, with over 11 million NINs issued, followed by Kano, Kaduna, and Ogun. Additionally, 447,414 Nigerians in the diaspora have enrolled, with 261,280 NINs allocated to men and 186,034 to women.
To promote digital infrastructure and financial inclusion, the Director-General of NIMC, Aliyu Aziz Abubakar, emphasized the importance of a robust and secure e-identity system. This system will serve as the foundation for digital transactions and financial services, enabling citizens to access various services securely. The NIMC is working towards providing every Nigerian with a unique national identification number and a digital identity card. The development of reliable connectivity, especially in rural areas, is also crucial for Nigeria’s progress in the digital economy.
As the FG continues to collate and digitalize the individual information of Nigerians, concerned observers are calling the Nigerian citizenry, NGO,s and independent bodies to be much more alert and proactive in selecting who gets to be in charge of its information ministry after shocking allegations of possible links between high government officials to international islamic terrorist organisations
SOURCE: Guardian, Online
IMAGE: Sunrise
