To obtain the new multipurpose NIN card, Nigerians will now be making payments through financial institutions. The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) revealed that the National Identity Number (NIN) has risen to 107,338,044, indicating an increase of 3.2 million from the 104 million total at the close of last year. The Commission is moving forward with its proposal to create a versatile NIN card that will serve multiple purposes, with Nigerian citizens expected to cover the costs.
During a press conference that was held in Abuja, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, the Director General of the Commission, announced that enrollment numbers have increased significantly. She also made it clear that the Commission is committed to ensuring all Nigerians are registered and will take whatever steps necessary to achieve this goal. Coker-Odusote discussed the upgrades being made to the Commission’s systems, which involve the implementation of new technologies and the crackdown on fraudulent activities and extortionists.
Time spent at the registration centres will be reduced.
With the ongoing increase in enrollment centres nationwide, she mentioned that the Commission would soon be able to register all Nigerians. She also highlighted that the system, currently capable of handling 100 million registrations, will be expanded to accommodate 250 million within the next six to eight months. She also stated that the Commission is planning to re-evaluate the cost of its services in order to enhance their delivery to Nigerians, emphasising that any employees found collaborating with illegal individuals will be prosecuted.
Her statement emphasised the importance of offering a reliable service to both citizens and legal residents, with the aim of making life more convenient and effortless. She highlighted the inconvenience of spending hours at the NIMC office for NIN services and pledged to take action to rectify the situation, promising to provide the necessary resources to address the problem. There is a crackdown on individuals posing as NIMC employees and extorting money from people. Many individuals have fallen victim to the fraudulent activities of these extortioners.
All discovered illegal activities will be persecuted.
Employees at NIMC caught collaborating with criminals will be subject to disciplinary action and prosecuted under the Cybercrime Act 2015 and the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023. The same consequences apply to any individuals involved in illegal activities. They are committed to establishing clear communication channels to prevent extortion. Their rates will be undergoing a thorough review, though the adjustments will be modest. Their rate has remained unchanged for quite some time and will not be unreasonably high.
Also, Nigerians were informed that in order to obtain the new general multipurpose national identity card, they would need to make a monetary payment through financial institutions. This card would grant them access to various digital services and promote financial inclusion. Similar to acquiring ATM cards from banks, Nigerians would need to pay through financial institutions to receive their cards within a 48-hour period. She stated that in order to obtain the digital card, payment must first be made, and Afrigo must be brought on board to guarantee the smooth and efficient delivery of the cards to the citizens.
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Applicants must provide their National Identification Number (NIN) through either a self-service online platform or at a bank in order to apply for the card. It was emphasised that registration for NIN is still free for citizens of the country. She elaborated on NIMC’s partnership with the Students Loan Board, NYSC, and other government agencies involved in distributing aid, stating that they would soon be implementing the use of NIMC’s identity database for government services in order to promote transparency and eradicate fraudulent beneficiaries.