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Abisoye Coker-Adesote, Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) said the commission is planning to enrol every Nigerian in a single-source database to streamline transactions and improve service delivery across various sectors.
Adesote disclosed this In a recent interview on Channels Television's Newsnight program on Monday.
Since assuming her role nine months ago, Coker-Adesote said her focus is on addressing the challenges faced by Nigerians in obtaining and using their National Identification Numbers (NIN).
She revealed that over 107 million Nigerians, representing over 50% of the population, have been enrolled in the system.
"So, we have enrolled, as of today, a little bit over 107 million. I think that’s fantastic because it means that we have covered a little bit over 50% of the entire population of Nigeria because Nigeria has been roughly about 200 million people. So, it shows that we’re on the right path and we’re in the right direction to achieve this", Abisoye opined.
Coker-Adesote acknowledged the difficulties faced by many in accessing their identity cards or modifying their NIN information. To tackle these issues, the NIMC has developed a five-point agenda that prioritizes seamless processes, inclusivity, and data harmonization.
The commission aims to integrate and harmonize existing databases across ministries, departments, and agencies, consolidating them into a central repository of citizen information. This unified database will serve as a single source of truth for individual identities, eliminating the need for repetitive data capture across different agencies.
Coker-Adesote highlighted the ongoing efforts to link NIN information with other government services, such as passport applications. While biometric verification is still under development, the integration of biodata is already underway, allowing for the automatic population of forms with NIN information.
She said, "What we’re trying to do at NIMC is to ensure that we increase the enrolment, tribe and to also ensure that we integrate and harmonise all the databases within the ministry, departments and agencies which have been operating in silence for so many years. And we want to ensure that there is a central database that would be able to have all the information of citizens stored on it and it then will save you a lot of time and half the processing time for everything you want to do. If for example, you’re going to go to apply for a passport, the information gotten from the NIN is what would be used to issue that passport for you, which has already been in the works with the Nigerian immigration."
The NIMC envisions a future where citizens can access various services, including driver's licenses, healthcare, and educational programs, using their NIN as the primary identifier. This streamlined approach promises to save time and resources for both individuals and government agencies.
By creating a unified and comprehensive database of citizen information, the NIMC is working towards a more efficient and inclusive system that facilitates seamless transactions and enhances service delivery across Nigeria.
