No fewer than 14 million Nigerians were enrolled for National Identity Number (NIN) at the end of 2016 , statistics obtained by Technology Times from National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have revealed.
This rising tide of national identity enrolment by Nigerians is one of the key highlights from the NIMC report of enrollment exercise (2012-2016) released by the Nigerian agency responsible for National ID management.
According to the report, the acquisition of Bank Verification Number (BVN) data from banks via the harmonization process provided a significant boost to NIMC’s efforts in 2016. As at December 2016, NIMC’s total enrollment figures stood at over 14 million.
Analyzing the figures, Technology Times data analyst, Nigeria recorded an impressive 11.462% increase in 2016 with 6.8m registrations as against the 59,258 it recorded in 2012 when the kick-off of the pilot scheme of enrolment of Nigerians into the National Identity Database (NID).
NIMC says that one of the strategies adopted by the current administration under the leadership of Engineer Aliyu A. Aziz, who took over the helm of affairs in November 2015, has been the shifting of focus to educating Nigerians on the importance of enrolling for the National Identification Number (NIN).
NIMC says that one of the strategies adopted by the current administration under the leadership of Engineer Aliyu A. Aziz, who took over the helm of affairs in November 2015, has been the shifting of focus to educating Nigerians on the importance of enrolling for the National Identification Number (NIN).
”The NIN is deemed to be used in the near future for all important transactions within the country and even outside”, NIMC says.
The report also reveals that residents in Abuja , the nation seat of power has the highest number of enrolment with 962,036 representing 6.8 percent of the total registration while Yobe has the least with 59,053 enrollment
National ID: The table below released by NIMC shows the enrollment figures from each state across Nigeria:
Analyzing the data further, North Central has 5.26 million Nigerians enrolled making the geopolitical zone with the highest registration while North East has the lowest enrolment with about 1.06 million which has been attributed by Technology Times data analyst to the incessant attacks by the Boko Haram insurgent during the period under review.
However NIMC says it has concluded plans to deploy a special National Identification Number (NIN) Enrolment Centre at the Technology Times Outlook 2017 business summit to allow more Nigerians the opportunity to be enrolled into the National Identity Database (NIDB).
The summit with theme ‘National Identity-Unlocking Possibilities for Knowledge-Driven Nigeria’, is scheduled to hold on the 23rd and 24th of February, at the MUSON Center, Onikan, Lagos.
According to NIMC ,those enrolled will be issued the NIN, which is a non-intelligent set of numbers assigned to an individual upon successful enrollment.These consist of recording an individual’s demographic data and capture of ten (10) fingerprints, head to shoulder facial picture and digital signature.
”The NIN enrollment Center will be adequately equipped, to ensure that all participants at the event are enrolled. The deployment of this enrollment Center will facilitate, as well as fast-track the enrollment of Nigerians as the Commission is committed to populating the NIDB.”
Also Engr. Aliyu Aziz, NIMC Director General/ CEO, has been confirmed to deliver a keynote address titled ‘National Identity Management: Unlocking Possibilities for Knowledge-Driven Nigeria’,which is expected to provide a status report of Nigeria’s identity management and also offer insights of the possibilities that ID initiatives for overall planning and national development.
