The enrolment for the National Identity Number (NIN) has so far reached 107,338,044 as of Friday, May 10, 2024, which reflected 13.2 million increase from 104 million recorded in December 2023.
The Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Abisoye Coker-Odusote, who disclosed this during a media briefing in Abuja on Friday, added that the commission’s plans to introduce a general multipurpose NIN card was underway but insisted Nigerians will have to pay for it as it is equipped with features that will help the citizens access government services.
The NIMC boss highlighted the surge in the NIN enrolment, stressing that the commission will expedite action to ensure that all Nigerians were enrolled within record-time.
Coker-Odusote told the reporters that NIMC was working on the harmonisation and integration of data of all the federal government agencies for a seamless operation, adding that the commission was using NIN to harmonise all the SIM cards while deploying mechanisms to thwart any breach.
She said further that the commission will refurbish its systems, by deploying high technologies to upgrade out-dated equipment even as it has mapped out strategies to clamp down on fraudsters and extortionists.
She explained that with the continuous expansion of enrolment centres across the country, the Commission aimed to reach 200 million enrollees following the completion of its system upgrade within the headquarters and across the 774 local government areas in Nigeria.
She noted that the Commission will review the prices for its services to improve service delivery to Nigerians, adding that the NIMC will impose heavy penalties on any staff member caught conniving with illegal actors for illicit gains.
She said, “All we are trying to do is to ensure that we provide a robust service for Nigerian citizens and legal residents. And to ensure that life is easy and seamless. One should not spend three to four hours in the NIMC office because of NIN services. It is something I will not allow to continue to happen. We will provide all necessary means to address the issue.
“We are clamping down on extortionists parading themselves as NIMC staff. A lot of people have lost their money to extortionists.
“Any staff of NIMC that tries to work with illegal perpetrators will face disciplinary committee and be tried according to the Cybercrime Act 2015 and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023, same with any illegal perpetrators.
“We will make sure we create proper communication to gauge against extortionists.
“We are going to review our rate. It is not going to be much, but it will be reviewed. We have not reviewed our rate for a long time. It is not going to be exorbitant.”