ConsumerConnect | Digital Economy: Nigeria targets 200million NIN registrations by 2025

*The Federal Government restates the importance of the ongoing National Identification Number enrollments, and the NIN-SIM integration to the realisation of its digital economy objective for socio-economic transformation of Nigeria

Gbenga Kayode | ConsumerConnect

As enrollments for the National Identification Numbers (NINs) continue in the West African country, the Federal Government has stated that it targets 100 million supplementary people for registration within the next three years.

ConsumerConnect reports the government disclosed that as a strategy to attain this figure, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) will enroll about 2.5million Nigerians monthly between 2021 and 2025.

NIN registration centres in Nigeria

This is also contained in the National Development Plan 2021-2025, which President Muhammadu Buhari recently launched in the State House, Abuja, FCT.

It is noted that the current administration is also addressing this challenge through the ongoing NIN-SIM linkage in Nigeria.

NCC administers NIN-SIM linkage

According to the National Development Plan 2021-2025, identity management has been a major issue for previous administrations in the country, resulting in lack or inadequate data for socio-economic development purposes.

Nevertheless, the Federal Government is addressing this challenge through the NIN-SIM linkage the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), in conjunction with NIMC, is currently administering in the country.

The Plan states in part: “Identity management has remained a tasking issue for several administrations.

“There is paucity of data despite several agencies collecting identity data for their operations in Nigeria.

The NCC as the country’s foremost telecoms sector regulator, is currently administering the NIN-SIM linkage or integration by connecting the SIM Registration Data to the National Identity Number Database.

“NIMC plans to register an additional 100 million people in three years and has embarked on a massive registration drive. The plan is to enroll 2.5 million people monthly for the next three years,” noted the Nigerian National Development Plan 2021-2025.

This publication had reported the Federal Government October 2021, again, extended the deadline for NIN-SIM data verification till December 31, 2021, and disclosed that 66 million unique NIN enrollments had been captured as of the time.

This three-year projection to register 100million additional enrollees for NINs means that the government will likely keep extending the deadline for linking the National Identity Number to the Subscriber Identity Module (SIM), and give more Nigerian consumers an opportunity beyond the end of 2021, according to report.

Prof. Isa Ali Pantami, Honourable Minister for Communications and Digital Economy, also said as of December 10, 2021, the country had recorded over 70 million unique NIN enrolments.

The Minister stated that the number of enrollments recorded had moved from 40 million September 2020 to over 70 million as of December 10, indicating an increase of over 30 million in slightly over a year period.

Regulators pledge 2.5m NIN enrollments monthly

In respect of the need to intensify efforts at increasing the number of enrollees for NINs in Nigeria, Engr. Aliyu Aziz, Director-General of NIMC, has also disclosed that the regulatory agency projected over 200million enrolments in the national identity database.

By implication, NIMC has achieved only 35 percent of its target, which it might not still achieve in the next three years, report stated.

According to data from a table in the National Development Plan 2021-2025, the share of Nigerians and resident foreigners with NINs was about 15 percent, with the plan to increase to record 90 percent by 2025.

It is also recalled that NIMC, October 2020, pledged to jack up enrollment and issuance of the unique (NINs) to Nigerians and legal residents from 500,000 to 2.5million record monthly in a renewed commitment to the provision of identity services to the country.

Mr. Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications of NIMC, in a statement said Engr. Aziz gave the while playing host to Prof. Pantami, who was on an official visit to the Commission’s corporate headquarters in Abuja.

The Minister, who noted that he was at NIMC on his first official visit to any of the parastatals under the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy, urged NIMC to “increase and improve its performance with regard to NIN registration and issuance.”

Pantami as well reiterated a target of 2.5million monthly NIN enrollments in Nigeria.

Aziz then, restated the commitment of the NIMC Management and Staff to meeting and surpassing the monthly target as part of the Policy statements in the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS).

“The Commission has competent human resources and looks forward to Governments support and intervention in injecting much needed material resources to realise the set objectives,” said Adegoke.

National identity in actualising Nigeria digital economy

In recognition of the importance of digital identity in actualising the digital economy goals, Prof. Pantami during the visit October 2020, also commended the Commission’s strides despite limited resources.

He, however, assured NIMC of his continuous support and guidance towards ensuring the fulfilment of its mandate.

“Similarly, Pantami assured the NIMC Management and Staff of his resolve to improve the state of the current infrastructure and equipment to enable the Commission be better and sustain its performance towards the discharge of this critical national assignment,” noted NIMC.

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Digital Economy: Nigeria targets 200million NIN registrations by 2025

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