Interior minister announces plans to harmonise all identity cards into one national document

INTERIOR minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has announced ambitious plans to harmonise all the various identity cards in Nigeria into one seamless and efficient document which meets virtually all the needs of the citizenry.

At the moment, Nigeria has a national identity card but of late, other documents have been introduced like the national identity number and the permanent voters card. According to Mr Tunji-Ojo, talks will soon begin among all relevant stakeholders to work out modalities on how to harmonise all the various identity systems for seamless and efficient service delivery across the country.

He said the discussion would  involve all the relevant stakeholders concerned, ranging from the Independent National Electoral Commission, commercial banks, the Federal Road Safety Commission, National Population Commission, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Nigerian Communications Commission. Mr Tunji-Ojo said the Nigeria Identity Management Commission (NIMC) will serve as the statutory body empowered by law to achieve this target in no distant future.

Speaking at  the fifth Identity Day commemoration held in Abuja with the theme Identity As  Catalyst for Nigeria’s Development – Examining the Role of Identity in Key  Government Programs of Social Safety Net, Financial Inclusion, promotion of Good Governance and Transparency - the minister said the harmonisation and management of national identity was what the country needed now as a major  means of mitigating and controlling crime as well as for national development.

Mr Tunji-Ojo, who described the theme as a catalyst to Nigeria’s development underscored the importance of ID management on nation building,  saying that identity remains key in the everyday lives, which is why it is commemorated every year. He added that looking at the progress made so far in ensuring digital identity inclusion for everyone, future solutions can be put in place to ensure better lives for the citizens and legal residents of Nigeria.

”We live in the modern digital age where a secure and verifiable identity is vital for any set system to work. You can’t access bank services and get ATM cards without proving your identity. You can’t even engage with others on online social media platforms without first verifying your identity, so, identity is key in our everyday lives, which is why we commemorate this day today.

“I have stated that the harmonization and management of national identity is a major means of mitigating and controlling crime as well as for national development. With a database of over 100m National Identification Numbers in the National Identity Database, NIMC provided essential access to attaining this goal along with other major stakeholders," Mr Tunji-Ojo added.

He said that the joining of NIMC with other sister agencies will not only improve access by the general public to services like passport acquisition and renewal but also offer efficient border security technology, effective handling of insecurity around the country, protection of critical national assets and infrastructure, reformation and reintegration of rehabilitated offenders in the society as well as improved emergency and fire response times. Mr Tunji-Ojo urged all stakeholders to join hands in ensuring the successful implementation of positive policies regarding national identity as it affects government social safety net and financial inclusion programmes.