President Goodluck Jonathan has
given the National Identity
Management Commission (NIMC)
until December 31, 2014 to ensure
the enrolment of all eligible persons
into the National Identity Database,
as provided for in Section 16 of the
National Identity Management
Commission (NIMC) Act No. 23, of
2007.
He has also ordered that by the same
date, all 14 government agencies
requiring identity verification and
authentication services or involved in
data capture activities must align,
with a view to switching over to the
NIMC infrastructure.
The president noted: “If the work of
law enforcement officers is to be
enhanced; if consumer credit is to be
accessible; if we are to reduce the
cost of managing the Naira cash
component currently estimated at
N192 billion per annum; if we are to
reduce the amount of currency in
circulation currently put at N1.93
trillion; if we are to achieve a
multiple pronged approach to the
fight against corruption; and finally, if
we are to introduce social security or
welfare payments, then we must, first
and foremost, establish and verify
appropriately, the identities of
individuals.”
Jonathan gave the order yesterday at
the formal launch of the Enrolment
Exercise for the Issuance of the
National Identification Number (NIN)
at the Council Chambers of the State
House, Abuja.
He noted that Nigeria cannot be an
exception to the global trend towards
Identity Management and Centralised
National Identity Database. Also, he
noted that already, “there is a
growing quest for specific databases
and identity verification by several
government institutions and private
sector organizations in our country.”
President said: “Aside from being
unwieldy, the cost of operating
multiple discordant databases and
infrastructure is unsustainable.
Government cannot afford the
continued proliferation of data
capture activities. The proliferation
does not grant any advantage in
efficiency, neither does it make good
economic sense.
“The growing identity verification
needs, therefore, calls for
harmonisation and integration of
identity databases and the
development of a universal service
infrastructure.”
President Jonathan therefore, charged
the Secretary to the Government of
the Federation and the Federal
Ministry of Finance to “ensure that
these objectives, which are aimed at
streamlining biometrically-linked
databases and optimizing scarce
resources, are accomplished on
record time.”
He said while government remains
committed to the accelerated
development of the National Identity
Management System (NIMS), the
private sector must also rise up to its
role. “Corporate operators must seize
the unique opportunities provided by
the concession agreement, to make
investments in the scheme.
The Minister of Interior, Abba Moro,
cleared the air on the confusion that
other forms of registration will be
suspended. According to him, “there
is a scepticism in this country, of the
whole process of a national identity
card management system, viz-a-viz
the conduct of activities of some of
the MDAs that you are talking about.
The Nigerian Immigration Service
(NIS), for instance, does biometric
recording of travellers and people
who come into and out of Nigeria and
keeps the records and maintains the
database. The Federal Road Safety
Commission (FRSC), certainly has
registration exercise for drivers
licensees, but the National Identity
Management Commission takes
responsibility for the entirety of the
registration of Nigerians and so there
is no conflict in this situation.”
Speaking at the launch, the DG of the
NIMC, Chris Onyemenam, noted that
the main identification is the NIN
generated upon registration and is
not transferable. He added that the
issued identity card has multiple uses
and can be used for financial
operations linked to MasterCard,
Verve and Visa.
He noted that the new identification
system will help to eliminate identity
related fraud, and all forms of
deception, adding that by December
31, 2013, they would have mobilised
for registration to strategic places,
like military formations, university
campuses among others to fast-track
the enrolment.
Onyemenam said so far, 500 systems
have been deployed to 42 locations
nationwide, while over 2, 000 staff
have been engaged. He said the
commission records about 25,000
enrolment weekly in the 1, 750
enrolment units in the 774 local
government areas.
Chairman of the commission, Uche
Secondus, requested for full release of
N30.6 billion budget for the
commission to enable it carry out its
functions without hitches.
He also requested for an adoption of
same salary structure to ensure the
retention of skilled personnel that
have been acquired and trained by
the commission.
source: http://sunnewsonline.com/new/cover/jonathan-sets-dec-2014-deadline-register-nigerians/