The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on Thursday said Nigerians would begin to pay for the National Identity Card from year 2022.
The Director General of NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Aziz, disclosed this in Abuja at the Lunch Time Reform Seminar on “The National Digital Identity Ecosystem Strategic Road Map for the Enrollment of Nigerians and Legal Residents into the National Identity Database (NIDB)” organised by the Bureau of Public Service Reforms (BPSR).
According to him, the National electronics ID card can only be issued to Nigerians registered into the national identity system and legal residents who have attained the age of 16 years and above.
He however said that the National Identification Number (NIN) is assignable only to Nigerians.
“As a government, we recognise the huge importance of moving towards a Digital Government. Therefore, we must embrace and harness the potentials inherent in digital identity to build and develop our country.
“Nations all over the world and in particular, developed countries have utilized identity as a foundation to transforming governance and enhancing service delivery in the areas of healthcare, agriculture, voting, transportation, financial inclusion, access to basic service and welfare programmes,” he said.
He assured Nigerians that no one shall be denied any government services on account of not having the National Identity Number (NIN).
He said, “Rather, the mandatory enrolment or collection of data by the above-mentioned government agencies or their licensed agents, along with private sector organisations to be licensed by NIMC under the digital identity ecosystem means fast-tracking of the enrolment process in the national identity system.
“Instead, in its wisdom, the Federal Government approved the new digital identity ecosystem which ensures and mandates all government agencies earlier mentioned and private sector organisations to be licensed by NIMC, to collect citizens’ data using guidelines issued by the NIMC and through secure approved channels of communication send such data to NIMC to generate the NIN.
He urged Nigerians to make use of the remaining three years to get registered and obtained their cards.
In his welcome remarks, the acting Director-General, BPSR, Mr. Dasuki Arabi, represented by the Director, Strategy, Innovation and Research (SIR), Mr. Iyang Anyang, noted that the world was currently facing political, economic, social and technological challenges.
He said the challenges have spurred government institutions to undergo various reforms to cope, address and manage change, for improved performance on quality service delivery to citizens.
