The National Identity
Management Commission (NIMC) says it has completed plans to deploy the National Identification Number (NIN) authentication and verification service link to all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDA’s) and banks.
Mr Chuks Onyepunuka, NIMC’s General Manager, Information Technology and Identity Database, made this known in an interview with the Newsmen in Abuja.
Onyepunuka said that the deployment was part of the commission’s strategy to ensure the success of the proposed September commencement of the mandatory use of NIN.
He said that NIMC had already deployed the authentication and verification service link to one of the security agencies and would soon extend to other agencies.
Onyepunuka also said that NIMC was discussing with the MDA’s and banks to enable them ascertain the infrastructure to achieve the deployment of the NIN authentication and verification service link.
“These institutions include the banks, Nigeria Immigration Service, Ministry of Aviation, Joint Tax Board, State House, National Universities Commission, National Pension Commission, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, and National Health Insurance Scheme.
“Others are the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), Federal Inland Revenue Service (FIRS), among others.
“Government institutions and agencies require the biometrics of individuals to offer functional services or for security reasons.
“They are required by law to key into the NIMC National Identity Database for the purpose of identity management and verification,’’ he said.
Onyepunuka said the verification and authentication would be done both online, which has two approaches, and the offline platform.
“The online version has the web portal approach used for NIN verification alone, while the desk top is a robust windows based approach that allows enrolee conduct the NIN verification,” he explained.
He added that, on the presentation of NIN or the fingerprints, the individual or organisation requesting such proof would utilise the online NIMC verification service to confirm such identity.
“For the offline platform, on presentation of the National Electronic Identity Card, the individual or organisation requesting such identity shall authenticate the identity by conducting a Match on Card verification.
“It is an irrefutable offline confirmation by requesting the person to provide his finger prints on a card reading device to enable the matching of the finger print.
“The individual or organisation requesting such a proof has access rights and privileges to determine what category of verification he is allowed to conduct or to view,” he said.
He urged Nigerians to take advantage of the over 400 enrolment centres nationwide to enrol for the NIN.
“This is because no government agency, bank or insurance company, offering services or involved in transactions will be allowed to conduct such without first demanding for NIN.
“Eligible applicants are urged to utilise the NIMC pre-enrolment portal: https://penrol.nimc.gov.ng, to pre-enrol for the NIN before proceeding to any NIMC enrolment centre closest to them for biometrics data capture,” he said. (NAN)
AIR/MST/MST
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