Follow Us on Google
From Adanna Nnamani, Abuja
The Federal Government on Thursday, said it was working to amend the National Identity Management Commission’s (NIMC) Act, to ensure that it was in consonance with the current digital realities.
It also said the move was to ease integration with other foundational identity agencies like the National Population Commission (NPC).
The Director General of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed this during a stakeholder consultation workshop organised in Abuja by the Commission with the support of the Nigeria Digital Identification for Development (NDI4D) Project.
Coker-Odusote also said that NIMC was fashioning ways to clear the backlog of enrollment fees owed enrollment partners and have also developed a robust business model to incentivise all partners, particularly those who will be conducting enrollment in remote and hard-to-reach locations.
She added that the Commission was also working tirelessly on upgrading the enrollment software and ensuring training and retraining of all licensed enrollment partners.
“An inclusion strategy that will guide our every step in extending the NIN enrollment to all Nigerians and legal residents is being developed.
“Also, we will be commissioning national awareness and information campaigns to reach everyone about the NIN enrollment, including information on where and how to enroll, what is required to enroll, on.
“In the same vein, enrollment centres and registration points will be located close to communities to reduce travel costs and time, enhance access to ID and to encourage and prioritise enrollment for women, girls, and other vulnerable groups. This will also involve Mobile registration centres to bring the enrollment process closer to the people in the rural and hard-reach areas.
The DG noted that the goal was to remove all current challenges and difficulties that people face in enrolling for IDs, fostering a robust, seamless, and more inclusive enrollment system where ID is provided for everyone, and no one is left behind.
“We are also committed to addressing the challenges and barriers that vulnerable individuals and groups, including women, persons with disabilities, IDPs and refugees face in obtaining the NIN which is needed to facilitate their access to critical services necessary for their well-being.” She stated.
On his part, the National Coordinator, Nigeria ID4D Project, Mr Solomon Odole, explained that the workshop served as an opportunity for people to gather as a community of experts, visionaries, and innovators in various respective fields to formulate frameworks and develop instruments that operationalize the principle of broad inclusion and participation, to promote an inclusive foundational ID system.
Odole added that the idea was to ensure that vulnerable and marginalized individuals and groups were given visibility and adequately considered in the identity system.
“The agenda of this workshop reflects our commitment to pushing the boundaries of what is possible. It emphasizes our dedication to continuous learning, growth, and innovation. Through our collective efforts, we aim to create a conducive environment where ideas flourish, and breakthroughs are made”, he stated.
