Nigerians can now self-serve their way into registering for a National Identification Number using a smartphone, thanks to a new initiative by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
NIMC Self Registration
The platform was introduced at the 5th Identity Day celebration held on Saturday, September 16, 2023 in Abuja by the Commission and the Ministry of Interior.
Abisoye Coker-Odusote is the Commission’s acting Director General and CEO. At the event, he emphasised the importance of identifying everyone in the nation.
She said: “Identity is more than a mere card or a number; it symbolises our existence, our entitlements, and our place within the society.
“It unlocks access to essential services, social benefits, and pathways to personal and economic growth.
“It stands as a testament to our individuality while serving as a bridge to our shared humanity”.
She emphasised the necessity of maintaining vigilance in protecting the integrity and security of identification systems by giving the values of privacy and data protection top priority.
She added that “above all, we must be inclusive, leaving no one behind as we endeavour to provide identity solutions for all”.
Self-Service Platform
On the reason for the self-service solution platform, she said it would make registration faster.
“We are trying to increase the turn-around time of registration.
“I have heard a lot of complaints from the average Nigerians about going for a registration.
“It takes them a long time and it also takes them a long time to get feedback after registration.
“So, what are trying to do is to create an ease of access for you to be able to register from the comfort of your own house.
“If you don’t have access to a digital tool, you can approach the NIMC office or any of our front-end partners that are in your neighbourhood.”
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Speaking with reporters after the event, the Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said that the Federal Government intended to harmonise all data regarding the identification of Nigerians.
NIMC App
He said: “I want to assure you that very soon, we are working on the modalities of harmonising all identity data that we have, from BVN to the telcos, the NIMC, voters’ identification, and everything.
“We will be working closely with NIMC because, by law, NIMC is a statutory body that is given the power to harmonise and maintain an identity database for the nation.”
The Banksforte Technology Limited, a division of the Banksforte Group that provides services in project management, construction engineering, ICT, and other fields, will power the NIMC self-service enrolment system.
Meanwhile, we observed that despite the launch on Saturday, September 17, the self-service application was not available for download yet on both PlayStore and App Store.
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