Nigerian Government sets to cover all citizens with digital identification in five years
The Nigerian Government has declared its determination to provide a lifelong unique identification for every individual physically residing in the country and Nigerians in the Diaspora within the next five years.
The Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission, Engr. Aliyu Aziz made the declaration at the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Identity for Africa Movement in Johannesburg, South Africa.
While addressing over 1,500 delegates at the event which is said to be the world’s largest identity for development gathering, Aziz stated that for the country to enhance governance, help its citizens rise out of poverty and restore growth and participate in the digital economy, there is the need for an exceptional digital identification platform that is linked to functional identification registries for accessing services.
He noted that the country is executing a digital identity ecosystem project endorsed in September 2018 by the Federal Executive Council
The DG revealed that the event themed ‘Digital Identity the Cornerstone to Effective Service Delivery’ is the Strategic Roadmap Vision is to reach universal coverage of robust digital identification.
Quoting him:
“The ecosystem approach of enrolment will constitute trusted partners and a pay-per-play model for successful enrolments. The purpose of the ecosystem approach is to leverage existing capabilities and enrolment facilities of government agencies, partners and private sector operators in Nigeria, as opposed to building new ones”.
He stressed that the government had begun the mandatory enforcement of the use of the National Identification Number (NIN) for services like application for and issuance of passport, registration of voters, amongst others since the beginning of the year.
Aziz pointed out that the digital identity ecosystem approach would extend coverage nationwide, reduce cost in data collection, speed-up delivery, provide digital verification of ID anytime and anywhere in the country.
