Nigerians To Pay For Proposed Multipurpose ID Card
…. As NIN enrolment hits 107 million
By Mercy Peter
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) said the National Identity Number (NIN) has reached 107.338,044, showing a growth of 3.2 million from the 104 million reported as at the end of last year.
The Commission also announced plans to introduce a general multipurpose NIN card for which Nigerians will be required to pay.
The Director General of the Commission, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, who announced this at a media briefing in Abuja, on Friday, said that despite the surge in enrollment, the Commission is not resting on its oars as it would stop at nothing to ensure that every Nigerian was registered.
She disclosed that the commission is revamping its systems, implementing cutting-edge technologies to upgrade its outdated equipment, as well as cracking down on fraudsters and extortionists.
According to her, with the continuous expansion of enrollment centres across the country, the Commission would be in a position to record total registration of Nigerians.
Coker-Odusote noted that in the next six to eight months, the system which capacity presently stands at 100 million, would be upgraded to 250 million.
She further mentioned that the Commission intends to review the prices for its services to improve service delivery to Nigerians, and warned that the Commission would prosecute any staff members caught conniving with illegal actors.
She said: “All we are trying to do is to ensure that we provide a robust service for Nigerian citizens and legal residents. And to ensure that life is easy and seamless. One should not spend three to four hours in the NIMC office because of NIN services. It is something I will not allow to continue to happen. We will provide all necessary means to address the issue.
“We are clamping down extortioners parading themselves as NIMC staff. A lot of people have lost their money to extortioners.
“Any staff of NIMC that tries to work with illegal perpetrators will face disciplinary committee and be tried according to the Cybercrime Act 2015 and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. Same with any illegal perpetrators.
“We will make sure we create proper communication to gauge against extortioners.
“We are going to review our rate. It is not going to be much, but it will be reviewed. We have not reviewed our rate for a long time. It is not going to be exorbitant”.
The Director General explained that Nigerians would have to pay a certain amount of money to access the new general multipurpose national identity card through financial institutions in the country, saying the card would allow them access to different digital services and enhance financial inclusion.
“Just like how you pay to access your ATM cards in the banks, Nigerians will pay through the banks to access their cards within 48 hours. We are partnering with Afrigo to ensure seamless delivery of cards to citizens after payment to get the digital multipurpose card,” She said.
She said applicants for the card will have to request with their NIN through a self-service online portal or the banks, insisting that NIN registration remains free for citizens of the country.
She further explained that NIMC is collaborating with the Students Loan Board, NYSC, and other government institutions responsible for palliatives distribution will soon start using NIMC identity database for services of government to ensure accountability and eliminate ghost beneficiaries.
Coker-Odusote maintained that states like Jigawa, Lagos, Kaduna, and Delta among others are currently acting as Front End Partners with NIMC for registration of their citizens in the national identity database and enjoined the media to support efforts of the Commission by raising awareness among the citizenry.
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