NIMC Issues Identification Numbers To Over 21m Nigerians

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says a total of 21,360,000 national identification numbers have already been issued out to Nigerians.

In a statement on Monday, Amaka Eze of NIMC corporate communications unit, disclosed that the commission has also setup more enrolment centres across the country, bringing the number of existing centres to 805.

She said the move is in line with the Director General, Engr. Aliyu Aziz’s goal to enroll 28 million Nigerians by the end of 2017.

Eze further stated that the NIMC is currently deploying additional enrolment centres in 556 local government areas and working to activate dormant centres in 218 councils.

“This is in line with the goal of the director general/ceo of the commission, Engr. Aliyu Aziz, to register 28 million Nigerians into the database, by the end of December 2017,” the statement read.

“According to him, the commission has continued to record exponential growth in the population of the database, despite the challenges facing the commission, even as the country gradually exists recession.

“It will be recalled that the commission had little above seven million NINs in the database when Engr. Aziz took over the mantle of leadership in November, 2015.

“Despite the challenges and constraints, the director general who is undaunted, has continued to manage the scarce resources, to ensure that the database is populated before commencing enforcement of the mandatory use of the NIN for all identity based transactions.”

Recall that earlier this year, the Federal Government directed that beginning 2018, no Nigerian will obtain or renew their international passports without having the national identification number.