Nigeria’s Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said the country will lack in adequate security and prosperity for its citizens, if there’s no proper identity management.
Speaking at the 6th National Day of Identity, organised by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), on Monday 16th September, 2024, Ojo said it is the duty of the government to harness the identity of the people, and also, the right of the citizens to have their data protected.
The Minister also said with the increased number of Nigerians captured by NIMC, effective data protection is now key.
This year’s event was with the theme “Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI): Enabling Access to Services”.
NIMC’s Director-General, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, said that the number of Nigerians with National Identification Numbers (NIN) has increased to 110 million. This is a 2.39 per cent increase from the 107.34 million recorded as of the end of May 2024.
She said that this accomplishment results from the strategic plan implemented by the current NIMC management, highlighting that the role of DPI has become indispensable to Nigeria’s economic development.
She explained that the Student Loan Initiative, which has benefitted 257 institutions, registered 332,715 students for loans, and made payments to over 18,000 students showcases how DPI can eliminate financial barriers to education.
She further added that the commission is working to ensure that more Nigerians are enrolled in quick time.