In line with the stipulations of the Act setting up the NIMC, and the presidential directive to data collecting agencies of government to harmonize their data with the NIMC, Executive Vice Chairman, Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Prof Umar Garba Danbatta, has given the nod for the release of data from the ongoing Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) cards registration exercise to the National Identity Management Commission.
The landmark announcement was made at the NCC headquarters in Abuja on Wednesday 31st of August 2014, during a courtesy call on Prof. Danbatta by the Director General and Chief Enrollment Officer, NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Aziz.

Speaking during the visit, Prof. Danbatta said the decision to release the data is in line with Federal Government’s instruction to transfer validated data to NIMC. He said the collaboration by the two agencies of government was “to ensure that we have a secure, reliable database containing biometric information for all Nigerians, which will definitely augur well for the security of the country among other benefits” He went on to emphasize that “we are committed to this. We recognize the importance of this cooperation and I would like to stress the need to give it all the seriousness it deserves”.

The Executive Vice Chairman also stressed the need for the inter-agency committee on data harmonization to fast-track the data transfer process to NIMC. He rounded up by directing the NCC to ensure that the data transferred to NIMC are fully backed up, to avoid any hitches in future.

While responding to the announcement, Engr. Aliyu Aziz expressed NIMC’s appreciation for the warm relationship between the two agencies and assured the NCC that the SIM Registration data transfer would boost the existing record of National Identification Number (NIN) holders currently in the National Identity Database, as the Commission would ensure that NIN will be generated for the owners of the records transferred who are yet to get their NIN.

The announcement by the NCC is coming on the heels of the approval and transfer of the first batch of Bank Verification Number data to NIMC by the Nigeria Inter-bank Settlement System (NIBSS).

The Federal House of Representatives has said it will work with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to ensure that all Nigerians in Diaspora are enrolled into the National Identity Database, and issued the National Identification Number (NIN), and the National e-ID Card.

Speaking at a meeting, with members of the House Committee on Diaspora, who visited the NIMC headquarters in Abuja on a fact finding mission recently, the Director General/CEO NIMC, said the Commission already has in place the basic infrastructure that will ensure that Nigerians in Diaspora can be enrolled for the NIN from anywhere in the world.

According to him, the basic infrastructure that will warehouse the Database of Nigerians and residents in Nigeria, as well as those in the Diaspora has been set up, while the NIMC enrolment systems has been designed in such a way that enrolment will be continuous, putting into consideration new births and deaths.

“All that NIMC has to do is to certify the NIMC Enrolment Centres and ensure that the Contractors who would be picked would follow the set rules and regulations, because the data must be captured well, to avoid garbage in and garbage out.” he said.

The Chairperson of the Committee, Hon. Barr. Rita Orji stated that the plight and humiliating experiences of Nigerians in other countries informed the Committee’s visit to NIMC.

“This Committee is in charge of their welfare, and to achieve maximum result, we need to be able to identify all Nigerians in Diaspora, and also know what they are doing in the various countries; schooling or business.

She noted that Nigeria is one of the few countries people can migrate into, merge with Nigerians, school, get jobs, etc., without any form of identification, while Nigerians who are in Diaspora find it very difficult to survive; and even get humiliated at every little incident.

While commending the NIMC DG on his transparency about achievements so far, she said: “We in the National Assembly are very determined to see this project happen, and are willing to help the Commission attain its mandate.

“We would not want any delays on enrolment and issuance of cards once the project starts. However, it is very obvious that the Commission has a lot of issues, we must both sit down during the budgeting period to set things in motion for enrolment of people in the diaspora.

Responding, the NIMC DG assured the Committee members that the Commission would continue to work with the House of Reps to make Diaspora enrolment a reality; because there is a large number of them living all over the world.

Other members of the Committee include Hon. Shehu Aliyu Musa, Hon. Sunday Katung, Hon. Gaza Gbefiri, Hon. Dr. Henry Archibong, and Hon. Thaddaeus Aina.

An accurate identity management system with quality data is no doubt a national asset to a country, Vice President, Prof. Yemi Osinbajo has said.

Vice President Osinbajo expressed this view, when he delivered a keynote address at a Policy Roundtable meeting on Identity Eco System hosted by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), in collaboration with the World Bank at the Old Banquet Hall, Presidential Villa, in Abuja.
Osinbajo, who was represented by the President’s Deputy Chief of Staff, Mr. Adeola Ipaye, noted that identity plays a pivot role in our lives and cuts across so many sectors of the economy adding that the government has realised the huge importance of moving towards a Digital Government.

According to him, “as a government, we recognise the huge importance of moving towards a Digital Government. Therefore, we must embrace and harness the potentials inherent in digital identity to build and develop our country. Nations all over the world and in particular, developed countries have utilized identity as a foundation to transforming governance and enhancing service delivery in the areas of healthcare, agriculture, voting, transportation, financial inclusion, access to basic service and welfare programmes.”

Osinbajo buttressed an observation on a case in Estonia, a country of just over 1.3m population which he said, currently has one of the most advanced e-government systems in the world adding that it has a single digital ID that accesses its citizens secure services.

Continuing, he stated that the Nigerian National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has commenced work on the harmonisation process thereby giving the assurance that Nigeria must use its digital strategy to establish a global reputation for technological leadership and business dynamism, building digital ecosystems in which innovation thrives.

He further stated that all the developed nations have a single identifier that forms the core of their identity adding that the USA, UK and India has this unique number which encapsulates the identity of the individual and all of the activities relating to the identification of the person.

Osinbajo also noted that Nigeria as a global player and a developing nation, must work towards leveraging digital identity as a reliable tool for uniquely identifying its citizenry and accelerating socio economic development.

He observed that different sectors in Nigeria, in response to this peculiar needs, have developed a means to identify individuals in order to perform their specific statutory functions have ended up in duplication of efforts, wastage of resources, uncoordinated identity approach, as well as unreliable identity information due to lack of interoperability and disconnected databases. He thereby urged the NIMC to ensure absolute integrity and security of this information.

As a nation, we have an interoperable and connected system to verify that each person or beneficiary is who he claims to be. Our strategic plans, as a government in the area of identification scheme must therefore converge to make harmonization and integration of the existing and new databases a reality, he noted.

Furthermore, he urged government agencies to work together to ensure that the nation’s policies are articulated and refined by collaborating with each other, share infrastructure and government investments to serve their customers who are potentially the same citizens, adding that there are potentially large benefits from the integration of the ID programs of our government institutes and thereby emphasising that it is necessary to take the advantage now.

In addition, he said that as the government is set to resolve the identity management system challenges, all other forms of identification such as Drivers’ Licence, International Passports would be aligned and in sync.

He also noted that the President has already taken the initiative in recognising the importance of identity and a harmonized identity management system.

However, he commended the World Bank and all other donor agencies for their concern and interest in the development of the identity ecosystem of Nigeria, including the harmonisation and integration of many disparate government identity management databases.

KEYNOTE ADDRESS OF HIS EXCELLENCY, THE VICE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL REPUBLIC OF NIGERIA, PROF YEMI OSINBAJO, GCON, AT THE POLICY ROUND-TABLE MEETING ON IDENTITY ECO SYSTEM HELD ON THURSDAY 08 DECEMBER 2016 AT THE STATE HOUSE CONFERENCE CENTRE,  PRESIDENTIAL VILLA, ASOKORO, ABUJA, NIGERIA

PROTOCOLS

Good Morning Distinguished Ladies and Gentlemen. I am delighted to welcome you all to this policy roundtable on identity management in Nigeria. I am particularly happy with the representation of all the Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs), the World Bank and other Development Assistance Agencies here today. The importance of this policy discussion necessitated my acceptance to chair the meeting, which is aimed at optimising the benefits of digital identity and leveraging its use for accelerating development. The particular focus on harmonisation and integration of disparate government identity management databases is of course a matter of crucial importance to Nigeria.

Identity plays a pivotal role in our lives and cuts across so many sectors of the economy. As a government, we recognise the huge importance of moving towards a Digital Government. Therefore, we must embrace and harness the potentials inherent in digital identity to build and develop our country. Nations all over the world and in particular, developed countries, have utilized identity as a foundation to transforming governance and enhancing service delivery in the areas of healthcare, agriculture, voting, transportation, financial inclusion, access to basic services and welfare programmes, amongst others.

A case in point in Estonia, a country of just over 1.3m population (World Bank estimate in 2016). According to Digital Nomads, “Estonia currently has one of the most advanced e-government systems in the world. This includes a single digital ID that enables citizens to access all of its secure services. Applicants can obtain a digital ID that will let them register their business within a day, open a bank account, use e-tax services and sign contracts from anywhere in the world. There, you don’t need to input any data manually for your tax declaration as all data is gathered and prepared automatically. And it can make digital nomad life and businesses much easier.” – (Source is http://youjin.do/how-this-tiny-country-is-competing-for-digital-nomads/).

The Nigerian National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has commenced work on the harmonisation of all our disparate Identity Management Systems into a concise system to ensure completeness, accuracy and integrity of such a national asset. In this regard, I believe that Nigeria must use its digital strategy to establish a global reputation for technological leadership and business dynamism, building digital ecosystems in which innovation can thrive. We will invest in smart infrastructure, platforms, and services; digitise our records and classify them accordingly; review and upgrade the legal and regulatory framework; and nurture digital talent.

Virtually all the developed nations have a single identifier that forms the core of their identity. For instance, in the UK, it is the national insurance number, which is mandatory to have as soon as a citizen turns 16 years of age and becomes eligible to work and pay tax accordingly; in the USA it is the social security number and, in India, it is called the Aadahar number. This unique number, which encapsulates the identity of the individual, is used for all of the activities relating to the identification of the person – in terms of planning for security, health, immigration, budget, etc. An accurate identity management system with quality data is no doubt a national asset to a country. It is time for Nigeria to also offer a unique identity to every person in the country. Nigeria as a global player and a developing nation must work towards leveraging digital identity as a reliable tool for uniquely identifying its citizenry and residents and accelerating socio economic development.

I am aware that different sectors in Nigeria in response to their peculiar needs, have developed a means to identify individuals in order to perform their specific statutory functions. This has resulted in duplication of efforts, wastage of resources, uncoordinated identity approach as well as unreliable identity information due to lack of interoperability and disconnected databases. The importance of the confidentiality of the information/data inherent in the identity management system cannot be overemphasised. We must therefore ensure absolute integrity and security of this information.

It is important that as a nation, we have an interoperable and connected system to verify that each person or beneficiary is who he claims. Our strategic plans, as a government, in the area of identification scheme must therefore converge to make harmonisation and integration of the existing and new databases a reality.

Our policies must be articulated and refined in such a way that government agencies must work together; collaborate with each other, share infrastructure and government investment to serve their customers who are potentially the same citizens and residents. The fiscal cost of implementing disparate and unconnected biometric-linked identity databases is increasingly becoming a huge burden and needs to be streamlined going forward as government cannot continue to fund the unnecessary duplication of efforts and overlapping identity functions that further deplete its scarce resources. Clearly, there are potentially larger benefits from the integration of the ID programs of our government institutions and we must take advantage of the opportunity that has been presented for us to get it right.

As we endeavour to resolve the identity management system challenges, we will also ensure that other forms of identification such as Drivers’ Licence, International Passports are aligned and in sync. The President has already taken the initiative in recognising the importance of identity and a harmonized identity management system. That is why there was a directive from my office in December 2015 for all stakeholders who have built independent identity management system to consolidate, aggregate and integrate existing databases as a way to accelerate and scale up the national identity database so as to offer every person a unique identifier. I am aware that a lot of work has been done in this regard by all the stakeholders represented here. However, it is the President’s charge that the national identification number (NIN) is used to authentic eligible voters in the near future, as well as in the areas of access to health insurance, registration of SIM cards, access to social welfare, financial transactions, etc.

The development of identity program in Nigeria will greatly help the nation leverage on its potential to improve security of lives and properties, advance service delivery, and fight poverty and corruption. Achieving full scale national identity management would boost our efforts at better tracking the movement of people, while minimizing issues with external border controls and terrorism. We have an opportunity to change and transform our country and l believe everyone here has a role to play in the growth and development of our nation through digital identity.

I want to commend the World Bank for its concern and interest in the development of the identity ecosystem of Nigeria, including harmonisation and integration of many disparate of government identity management databases; and for sponsoring this roundtable meeting. Furthermore, I want to also commend other Donor agencies who have expressed willingness and readiness to support the Nigerian Government in the effort to build a robust identification eco system.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, it is on this premise therefore, that I am pleased to convey the support and goodwill of His Excellency, President Muhammadu Buhari, President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria; to the World Bank, other Donor Agencies and to all the MDAs here present. He demands that you all take up the challenge of giving Nigeria a world class identity management infrastructure, which will be pivotal to the security and socio-economic transformation of the country. His Excellency, the President appreciates your sponsorship, willingness and readiness to support Nigeria.

With the caliber of people here, I am sure that there will be in depth policy discussions on strengthening the identity eco system of Nigeria and robust action plans to shape the implementation of the Presidential directive for the alignment of all biometric identity databases in the country.

As I conclude, I wish to stress the fact that this meeting is not for us to analyze why the policy cannot work or why more time is needed. This policy meeting is for us to reach a common understanding on what our nation needs right now, what business model and approach should be adopted in ensuring that everyone in Nigeria has a unique identity (an identifier that serves the public and private sectors alike) and consider options and strategies for streamlining activities of MDAs and optimizing the use of scarce government resources in achieving a common goal on identification as an enabler.

Distinguished guests, ladies and gentlemen, it is my singular honor and pleasure to declare this meeting open.

I thank you all and wish you fruitful deliberation.

God bless you, God bless the Federal Republic of Nigeria.

Professor Yemi Osinbajo, GCON
Vice President, Federal Republic of Nigeria
Thursday, 08 December 2016.

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has concluded plans to deploy a special National Identification Number (NIN) Enrolment Centre at the Technology Times Outlook 2017 Business Summit.

The summit with the theme ‘National Identity-Unlocking Possibilities for Knowledge-Driven Nigeria’, is scheduled to hold in Lagos on the 23rd and 24th of February, at the Muson Centre, Onikan.

Deployment of the special Centre, in collaboration with the planning Committee of Technology Times Outlook 2017, is to avail more Nigerians the opportunity to be enrolled into the National Identity Database (NIDB) and be issued the NIN, which is a non-intelligent set of numbers assigned to an individual upon successful enrollment.

The NIN enrolment Centre will be adequately equipped, to ensure that all participants at the event are enrolled. The deployment of this enrolment Centre will facilitate, as well as fast-track the enrolment of Nigerians as the Commission is committed to populating the NIDB.

The NIMC Director General/ CEO, Engr. Aliyu Aziz, will also deliver a keynote address tagged ‘National Identity Management: Unlocking Possibilities for Knowledge-Driven Nigeria’.

The Summit is organised by Technology Times, provider of news, information and events, to create a technology thought leadership platform for the Nigerian information and communication technology (ICT).

“At Technology Times Outlook 2017, leaders in business and government, innovators, visionaries and frontier thinkers will come together to share perspectives and insights on the National ID programme of Nigeria and other key technology initiatives and trends that will either shape, define or disrupt Nigerian economy in the new year and beyond,” said Shina Badaru, founder of Technology Times Media Limited.

Participants who will be at the event are urged to come along with a valid means of identification such as the Birth Certificate, Driver’s License, International Passport, Voter’s Card, etc. for verification.

Participants are also encouraged to bring along their children/wards, as the Commission has commenced the enrolment and issuance of the NIN to minors from age zero to fifteen (0-15).

However, it is mandatory that the parent or guardian of the minor must also enroll and have a NIN before the child/ward can be registered. It is also compulsory for the minor to visit any of the NIMC enrolment office nationwide to update his/her registration when he or she turns 16.

It is also at this stage that the National e-ID Card will be processed and subsequently issued to the individual as an adult.

Other speakers at the event include Mr. Leo Stan Ekeh, Chairman, Zinox Group, Mr. Simon Kolawole, Founder/CEO, Cable Newspaper Ltd, Muhammed Rudman, CEO, Internet eXchange Point of Nigeria (IXPN), Ibrahim Dikko, Vice President, Regulatory & Corporate Affairs, Etisalat Nigeria.

Mr. Badaru also said, “The Technology Times Person of the Year 2016 will emerge at the #TTOulook17 dinner which is co-located with the Technology Times Person of The Year 2016 Awards & Dinner. The award will recognise and honour that individual that has made enduring contribution to the Nigerian ICT industry.”

Signed
Loveday Chika Ogbonna
Head, Corporate Communications, NIMC

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has deployed application for the pilot phase of enrolment of minors in all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
This is another phase of the National Identity Management System (NIMS), which will enable every citizen, including children from ages zero to fifteen, to be enrolled and issued the National Identification Number (NIN).

Before now, the Commission only issued the NIN to citizens and legal residents aged 16 years and above.
With the commencement of the nationwide pilot programme, children can be enrolled and issued the National Identification Number (NIN) even from birth, upon successful enrolment into the National Identity Database.
It is however mandatory for parents or guardians of the minor to have enrolled for the NIN, this is because the system essentially links the NIN of the minor to that of his/her parent or guardian until the minor attains the 16 years mark.
Upon attaining the age of 16, he/ she would be required to visit any of the NIMC enrolment centres nationwide to update his/her registration. It is at this stage that the National e-ID Card will be processed and subsequently issued to such individual.

This policy will ensure that the NIN of the minor is linked with that of the parent or guardian, until their biometric features become fully developed. It will help to retain the comprehensive family database and at the same time make it easy for government to trace every citizen to a family unit.

The enrollment process consists of the recording of an individual demographic data and capture of the 10 fingerprints and head-to shoulder facial picture which are all used to cross check existing data in the national identity database to confirm that there is no previous entry of the same data or double enrollment before the NIN is issued. The enrolment of minors can be done at any of the NIMC enrolment offices Nationwide and it is free of charge.

A Store house used by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in Calabar, Cross River State was recently burgled, and some items, including 4,555 old National Identity Cards carted away.

The store, in which some materials and items inherited by NIMC from the defunct Department of National Civic Registration (DNCR) were kept, was broken into and items, including about 4,555 pieces of the old National ID Cards leftover after distribution years ago were stolen. The DNCR and all its assets and liabilities were taken over by NIMC in 2007.

However, the 4,555 stolen old ID cards have been recovered, and four suspected thieves who were found in possession of the cards, were arrested by the Police in Cross River state at Eyo-Edem Street, Calabar. The suspects have also been charged to court by the police in line with the theft.

Spokesperson of the Commission, Mr. Loveday Chika Ogbonna, has assured the public that the recovered cards were not part of the new National e-ID Card currently being issued by NIMC.
The new National e-ID Card, which was launched in late 2014 is of higher technology, making it extremely difficult to be faked or used by anyone who is not the registered owner.

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has deployed a Short Message Service (SMS) that allows members of the public to ascertain and verify the authenticity of their National Identification Number (NIN) and access other services.

The services provided by the SMS platform include the Personal NIN Lookup, which allows an individual check his/her NIN; the Card Status Check, which check the print and delivery status of an individual’s National e-ID Card; the Change Telephone Number, which allows an individual change the phone number he/she used during enrolment to a new one where the old phone number is no longer available and the Help, which allows an individual seek help on available services.

In the instance where the individual wants to check his/her NIN, he/she can send the keyword “mynin” to any of the specified numbers (listed at the end of this document) and the result will be the sender’s NIN, provided the phone used for sending the request corresponds with the number the individual supplied to NIMC at the time of registration.

Where the individual seeks to change his/her telephone number, he/she sends “Changeme/FirstName/Surname/OldPhoneNo/Last4digitNIN” and the service will reply with the user’s full name and acknowledgement of the change from the old number to the new number.

In the same vein, where a “cardstatus” request is sent to the specified phone numbers, it returns the state of readiness (where applicable) of the card. Responses include: Card ready but not dispatched, Card ready (where the card is ready, it displays your batch ID and other details to enable you pick up your card), or Card Collected.
Similarly, the “Help” function is sent to any of the numbers listed below in order to seek help on available services where the individual is not conversant with any of the available SMS Card and NIN services.
To request for any of these services, the general public is invited to send the SMS to any of the following numbers: +234 908 000 0871 (Etisalat), +234 903 000 0872 (MTN), +234 705 820 0871 (Glo), and +234 708 420 0871 (Airtel).

Please note that for you to enjoy any of these services, you may be required to opt out of the Do-Not-Disturb (D-N-D) policy implemented by some telecommunication companies on your phone lines. 

Below is the table of the available SMS services, for ease of reference.

Send the keyword(s) to any of these telephone numbers:
1. +234 908 000 0871 (Etisalat)
2. +234 903 000 0872 (MTN)
3. +234 705 820 0871 (Glo)
4. +234 708 420 0871 (Airtel)

You can send feedback on these services to loveday.ogbonna@nimc.gov.ng

Corporate Communications

The National Identity Management Commission, (NIMC) is set to deploy the NIMC Verification Service (NVS) to the Insurance and Pension sector, following the successful implementation and adoption of the platform by most financial institutions in the country.
Separate presentation forums were organised by the Business Development and Commercial Services (BDCS) Department, at the Training Centre of the NIMC headquarters, Abuja recently to demonstrate the verification procedures, had in attendance NICON Insurance Plc, Great Nigerian insurance Plc, Joy Sovereign Trust Insurance Plc, Custodian Life Insurance Plc, Pension Transitional Arrangement Directorate (PTAD), SIGMA Pensions Ltd, Pension Alliance Ltd, amongst others.

The Deputy General Manager of the BDCS Department, Mrs. Carolyn Folami, while making presentation at both forums, noted that NIMC is fully committed to its mandate to be a one stop shop for identity management in Nigeria.

While noting that NIMC is meant to regulate the identity sector and all transactions related to identity, she disclosed that part of NIMC’s mandate is to work in partnership with all institutions, including the Insurance sector in Nigeria, to ensure that the National Identification Number (NIN), is used for all transactions.

The DGM stressed the importance of the National Identity Management System, and the need to harmonise insurance companies’ databases with the National Identity Database (NIDB), adding that an insurance applet, although yet to be activated, is also included on the National e-ID Card.

According to her, the Application Program Interface (API) for the NIMC Verification Service (NVS) is already being deployed to institutions like the banks, who can query the system for over 17 million people who have enrolled for NIN and have had their details captured on the National Database.

The team leader for software development, Mr. Olushola Amurawaiye, while making the NIMC Verification Service’s (NVS) live presentation, said it has two client interfaces – the Standalone Desktop version and the online Web version.

He explained that the NVS can be incorporated into the existing organisations owned software using the NVS’ Application Programme Interface (API).
“At the point of query, data generated by the NVS to the organisation making such request is limited by the access levels granted by NIMC, and the levels range from 1 to 5 depending on the kind and sensitivity of the identity data to be accessed.
“Authorized users can generate data from the NVS using the enrollee’s NIN only; demographics only; e-ID card only; Document Number only; biometrics only or both biometrics and NIN,” he said.
He further explained that the insurance companies when they come on board, can apply for desired access rights and privileges which determine what category of verification they are allowed to conduct on an individual and what category of data they are allowed to view.

He added that the NVS uses a secure, Virtual Private Network (VPN) connection to NIMC’s database, for security purposes and a User Login interface allows the authorised NVS users log onto the system.

Corporate Communications

Cecilia Yahaya is a seasoned Administrator and astute civil servant with over 28 years post qualification experience in the Public Sector. She is a graduate of English from the University of Jos. Over the years, she has worked as an Administrative Officer in the Federal Civil Service, where she attained the rank of an Assistant Director.

She has served variously in the Federal Civil Service Commission, the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, and the Federal Ministry of Interior, before being deployed to the defunct Department of National Civic Registration (DNCR).  In the DNCR, she served in various capacities including State Coordinator of Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto and Benue States. Cecilia is General Manager, Human Capital Management, NIMC.

Cecilia Yahaya is a seasoned Administrator and astute civil servant with over 28 years post qualification experience in the Public Sector. She is a graduate of English from the University of Jos. Over the years, she has worked as an Administrative Officer in the Federal Civil Service, where she attained the rank of an Assistant Director.

She has served variously in the Federal Civil Service Commission, the Office of the Head of Service of the Federation, and the Federal Ministry of Interior, before being deployed to the defunct Department of National Civic Registration (DNCR).  In the DNCR, she served in various capacities including State Coordinator of Kaduna, Niger, Sokoto and Benue States. Cecilia is General Manager, Human Capital Management, NIMC.

Abdullahi Ibrahim FCA, holds a B.Sc. Degree in Accounting from the University of Lagos. He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria with about 22 years post qualification experience in both the private and public sectors. He served in various senior management capacities at the Zenith Bank Plc where he had primary responsibilities for region-wide and Head Office Services in Cash Management, Interbank Clearing & Settlement, Branch Operations Coordination, Supervision and Inspection, Treasury Operations and Management, as well as Foreign Correspondence Banking. He was a senior member of staff of the Secretariat of the Presidential Implementation Committee on the Implementation of Government Decisions on Consumer Credit System, National Outsourcing Initiative and Harmonization of Identification Schemes in Nigeria. Abdullahi is the General Manager, Corporate Services, NIMC.

Abdul-Hamid Umar is a consummate manager with over 25 years experience in Strategic Leadership, Communications, Stakeholder & Shareholder Management, Advertising, Public Relations and Mass Mobilization, spanning the Aviation, Telecommunications, Power & Steel and the ID & Security sectors of Nigeria’s Economy.

Before he joined NIMC in 2011 as Deputy Director, Corporate Communications, Abdul-Hamid Umar served in various capacities at the Nigeria Mobile Telecommunication Limited, (Mtel), where he rose to become Deputy General Manager and Head of Corporate Affairs Department. A seasoned Media and Publicity expert and versed in the delicate art of corporate image re-engineering and branding, in 2005 his sterling contributions and efforts helped tremendously to draw the National Assembly as well as Federal Government’s attention to the challenges and evolutionary prospects for the pioneer National Mobile Telecommunication Operators (Mtel). He had also worked in Public Relations at the Jos Steel Rolling Company, Federal Airports Authority of Nigeria and Intercellular Nigeria Limited. He was at a time Editorial Advisor at the Africa Institute for Telecommunications Research.

Abdul-Hamid is the Acting General Manager, Operations, NIMC.

Chuks Onyepunuka is seasoned Information Technology professional, with a proven tracks record of over 27 years experience working on the development and implementation of IT solutions with major Telecommunication, Consulting and Multi-National Manufacturing Organisations and government agencies in Nigeria.

Until he joined NIMC, he was an Assistant General Manager at the Swift Networks Limited, responsible for the Information Technology Infrastructure and Applications. Prior to this role, he worked for Computer Warehouse Group Limited as Service Delivery Manager. He has also worked for Vmobile Nigeria/Celtel Nigeria/Zain Nigeria as Head of Division- IT Facilities Division; Head of Division – Data Center Facilities and IT Asset Management. He also worked for MTN Nigeria Communications Limited as Service Desk/Change Manager. Prior to joining MTN, Chuks was IT Operations Manager, IT Services Manager, Systems Manager, networks & Applications, Systems Support Manager, Network Support officer and Computer Programmer with KPMG Consulting (formerly Peat Marwick & Ani Ogunde Consulting). He holds a Bachelor of Science (B.Sc.) degree in Computer Science from the University of Nigeria, Nsukka and has attended many executive development courses. He also holds Manager’s Certificate in IT Service Management (Information Systems Examination Board, London) He is also a Certified Service Oriented Enterprise Professional and Certified Data Centre Management Professional (CDCMP™), London. He also holds BTEC in Data Centre Management from EDEXCEL, London. He is a member of Computer Association of Nigeria (MCOAN) and Computer Professional Registration Council of Nigeria (MCPN). Chuks is the Acting General Manager, Information Technology/Identity Database Department of NIMC.

Hadiza Ali  Dagabana holds an LLB from Bayero University, Kano, a Masters degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos and a Post Graduate Diploma in International Tax Law from Robert Kennedy College, Delemont Switzerland. She is also an alumnus of J. F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, USA.

She was Departmental Liaison Officer and later Head of Anti-Corruption and Due Process in the Bureau of Public Enterprises. She transferred her skills to Transnational Corporation of Nigeria (Transcorp) and was seconded to Nigerian Telecommunications Company (NITEL) as Secretary/Legal Adviser. She joined the National Identity Management Commission in 2008 under the Coalition 4 Change Program (Accountability Issue Based Project of the DFID) to set up the Regulatory and Compliance Unit. She has over 21 years experience in legal practice and enjoys membership of the Nigerian Bar Association, International Bar Association and Federation of Women Lawyers.
Hadiza is the Acting General Manager, Legal Services/Board Secretary of NIMC.

Ben Alofoje, holds a B.Sc. degree in International Relations from the Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife and a Masters degree in International Law and Diplomacy from the University of Lagos. He is an alumnus of the Stanford Graduate School of Business, USA Executive Program.

A seasoned administrator with over 24 years post qualification experience in the Oil and Gas, Financial Services and Not-for-Profit and Consulting Sectors. Ben had served at senior management positions in private sector institutions. He worked as Administrative Secretary (General Services) Ford Foundation Office for West Africa and later became Group Head, Programme Management Services of the Nigeria Economic Summit Group Ltd/Gte (NESG) where he honed his skills in national policy advocacy. He worked with Zenith Capital Ltd (a subsidiary of Zenith Bank Plc) before joining the Public Service. He is a member of the Development Studies Association UK and International Studies Association USA as well as the Nigerian Institute of Public Relations (NIPR). He was a senior member of staff of the Secretariat of the Presidential Implementation Committee (PIC) on the Implementation of Government Decisions on Consumer Credit System, National Outsourcing Initiative and Harmonization of Identification Schemes in Nigeria. Ben is Deputy General Manager/Head, Inspectorate at NIMC.

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has registered 21,360, 000 Nigerians into the National Identity Database and issued them the National Identification Number (NIN). The new enrolment figure was reached as at the close of work on 6th September, 2017.

The Commission has also setup more enrolment Centres across the 36 States of the federation and the FCT, bringing the number of enrolment centres to about 805.

With the deployment of additional enrolment centres, NIMC is currently active in 556 Local Government Areas (LGAs), and is working to activate dormant centres in the remaining 218 LGAs in order to expand enrolment coverage.
This is in line with the Director General/CEO of the Commission, Engr. Aliyu Aziz’s goal to register 28 million Nigerians into the database, by the end of December, 2017.
According to him, the Commission has continued to record exponential growth in the population of the database, despite the challenges facing the Commission, even as the country gradually exists recession.

It will be recalled that the Commission had little above seven (7) million NINs in the database when Engr. Aziz took over the mantle of leadership in November, 2015.

Despite the challenges and constraints, the Director General who is undaunted, has continued to manage the scarce resources, to ensure that the database is populated before commencing enforcement of the mandatory use of the NIN for all identity based transactions.

Corporate Communications

The Acting Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Dr. (Mrs.) Habiba Lawal, has inaugurated the Governing Board of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), recently appointed by President Muhammadu Buhari.
The inauguration of the body was done on Thursday, 21st September, 2017 at the SGF’s office in Abuja, sequel to the dissolution of the boards of all Federal Government Parastatals, Agencies and Government-Owned Companies in 2015.

Comprised of nineteen (19) members, four (4) non-executive Presidency representatives and fourteen (14) non-executive representatives from other federal government agencies, the board has Prince Olagunsoye Oyinlola as the Chairman, and Mal. Bello Ibrahim Gwandu, Rt. Hon (Engr) Akanimo Edet, Mr. Toibudeen Oduniyi, as representatives of the presidency.

Others include Engr Chidi Nwafor – Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mr. Ikharo Nasiru Saliu – National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), DCG. Raymond T.A. Jaja – Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Mrs Ekanem Bassy Aikhomu – National Pension Commission (PENCOM), Mr. Iloka Bertram Chukwubuike – National Population Commission (NPopC).

Mr. Dipo Fatokun – Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN), DCP David Igbodo – Nigerian Police Force (NPF), Engr. M.S Lawal – Office of the National Security Adviser (ONSA), Mrs. Saratu Shafi’i – Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC), Mr. Kola Okunola – Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), Maj. Gen. E.G. Whyte – Office of the Chief of Defence, Mrs. Elizabeth Ayodele – Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Mr. Williams Fugah – Department of State Security Service (DSS), Mr. Charles Theophilus fdc – Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC) and the DG/CEO of NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Abubakar Aziz.

While inaugurating the board, the SGF called on the board to work closely together, build synergy and ensure that the work being done at the Commission achieves its objectives. Adding that the proliferation and duplication of efforts at biometric based identity systems is neither cost effective nor security-smart.

The SGF also called on the private sector to invest promptly in the project, to help achieve the objective of populating the National Identity Database, which in turn will ensure that the NIMC is properly equipped to provide services to all sectors and aspects of our economy and nation.

The Chairman assured the SGF of the new body’s commitment. “We shall live up to expectations, especially given the fact that the burden placed on our shoulders is a very sensitive and significant one that must be carried with very sincerity and patriotism”, he said.

Corporate Communications

The Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Aliyu Abubakar Aziz, has advised Nigerians and residents in the country to regard the National Identification Number (NIN) as a most crucial feature of their entire life as it is the unique identifier for all in Nigeria.

Engr. Aziz said Nigerians should view the NIN the same way Social Security Number is regarded in the United States, the National Insurance Number in the United Kingdom, or AADHAR number in India.

“What is common in all the countries I mentioned is just the number. Therefore, you need a unique NIN from cradle to grave,” he emphasised in a statement issued by Mr. Loveday Ogbonna, Head, Corporate Communications Unit of NIMC.

The NIMC boss advised Nigerians and residents to present themselves to be enrolled for the NIN to avoid the usual rush that may arise with enforcement of the mandatory use of NIN for transactions and access to services as stipulated in NIMC Act of 2007, Section 27.

The DG NIMC noted that “by law and along the entire lifecycle of individuals in Nigeria, you need to present your NIN whenever you need to be identified for services such as passport issuance, banking services, land transactions, insurance services, pension, health insurance, payment of taxes, voter’s registration, consumer credits, and all government services,” he said.

“In all these there’s nothing temporary about the NIN slip issued after registration,” he said, in apparent reaction to questions and enquiries in some quarters where some Nigerians had asked whether the NIN is a temporary feature while the physical electronic Identity Card is yet to be issued, and added that “the NIN is your identity and is considered more important than the card.”

Engr. Aziz further said that “NIMC’s current focus is on the number – NIN and not card. We are already in a digital economy driven by unique index numbers and not by physical tokens such as a card, though the law specified we should issue general multipurpose smart cards as the exercise continues.”

He also explained that the Commission is mindful of the demands of the general public for the physical card and all hands are on deck to meet this enormous demand that has huge financial implication for the nation.

The statement gave indication of the number of NINs enrolled so far to be 23.3 million up from seven million in November 2015 when Engr. Aziz took over the mantle of leadership.

Engr. Aziz appealed to Nigerians to enrol, saying “so please enrol for the NIN, encourage everyone you know to do same including children and legal residents as all other government agencies will follow soon and make their respective announcements on the mandatory use of the NIN.”

Corporate Communications