‘NIN Harmonisation, Major Way To Crime Control’

Minister of Interior, Mr Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, has said  the harmonisation and management of National Identity Number (NIN) is  a major means of mitigating and controlling crime.
He said this at the 5th Identity Day  commemoration organised by National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in Abuja recently.
The theme of the day was “Identity as a catalyst for Nigeria’s development: Examining the role of identity in key government programmes of social safety net, financial inclusion, promotion of good governance, and transparency”.
“With a database of over 100 million National Identification Numbers in the National Identity Database (NIDB), and  NIMC providing essential access to attaining this goal along with other major stakeholders”, he said.
Tunji-Ojo noted that all Nigerians were stakeholders in ensuring the successful implementation of positive policies regarding national identity as it affects government social safety net and financial inclusion programmes.
“We live in the modern digital age where a secure and verifiable identity is vital for any set system to work. Think about it, you can’t access bank services and get ATM cards without proving your identity”, he said.
The acting Director General of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, said the day held exceptional importance, adding, “it provides everyone with an opportunity to reflect on the pivotal role that identity plays in our lives and its profound impact on society.
“It is a day to recognise the transformative power of identity in shaping our destinies, safeguarding our rights, and connecting us as global citizens”.

She said, in the face of emerging technologies and evolving threats, there is need to remain vigilant in safeguarding the integrity and security of identity systems.

According to her, the newly launched “Self service online solution” App would address the challenges associated with registration of NIN, saying it would give easy access at the comfort of people’s homes.

“We are trying to bridge the gap. This is the basis and approach in introducing the self service solution to reduce the time cost of registration”, she said.

Coker-Odusote further said so far, 102 million Nigerians had been captured in the NIN, and assured Nigerians of easier access to registration.

The Managing Director of Barnksforthe Technologies, Mr Adebayo Bankole,  who designed the App, said it would address issues associated with NIN registration.

Stories Compiled by King Onunwo