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Ndubuisi Orji, Abuja
The House of Representatives, yesterday, grilled the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) for engaging private companies to collect biometric data of Nigerians residing abroad.
Members of the House Committee on Diaspora expressed concern that the development was exposing the country’s security to outsiders.
Chairman of the committee, Tolulope Akande-Sadipe, while speaking at a budget defence session with NIMC, said it was risky to allow outsiders collect biometrics of Nigerians on behalf of the commission.
“The national ID number is a social security number. In America, it is called social security number. In England, it is called NI. No private organisation in England is allowed to capture that data. No private organisation in America is allowed to capture the social security number.
“This is Nigeria, this is our country; we need to protect us. If we don’t protect us, no country is going to protect us. If the companies are registered and licenced abroad, are you telling me that the FBI is more important in certifying them? The FBI itself is a foreign entity, they even should not have access to our data. Do you have data, as the Nigerian government, of American citizens? “
