NIN Enrolment: Report Extortion Cases, Commission Tells Nigerians

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has advised Nigerians to report cases of extortion or harassment in the course of enrolment for National Identification Number (NIN) to its offices.

Director-general of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Mrs Abisoye Coker-Odusote, gave the directive yesterday at the annual consultation stakeholders’ workshop organised by the Nigeria Digital Identification for Development Project (ID4D) with the theme: “Fostering inclusion and feedback mechanism in the Nigeria Digital,” held in Abuja.

Coker-Odusote who was represented by the technical advisor, Ayobami Abiola said that NIN is free and for everyone.

She said at NIMC, we frown at all forms of extortion and will ensure anyone found culpable of extorting any potential enrollee bears the full weight of the law.

“Since my assumption of office as the DG of the NIMC, I have led several sting operations to enrolment and regional coordination centres across the country where some of our staff found extorting enrollees were handed over to law enforcement agents for prosecution.

“Asides working to remove all impediments and barriers to enrolment for a national ID, we are working closely with the Nigeria Digital Identification for Development Project (NDID4) with support from World Bank, French Development Agency (AFD), and European Investment Bank (EIB) in implementing series of sustainable and innovative reforms.

“The goal is to remove all current challenges and difficulties that people face in enrolling for IDs, fostering a robust, seamless, and more inclusive enrolment system where ID is provided for everyone, and no one is left behind. We are also committed to addressing the challenges and barriers that vulnerable individuals and groups, including women, persons with disabilities, IDPs and refugees face in obtaining the NIN which is needed to facilitate their access to critical services necessary for their well-being,” she said.

Meanwhile, the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project Coordinator, Mr Odole Solomon said that the workshop serves as invaluable opportunity to come together as a community of experts, visionaries, and innovators in different fields to formulate frameworks and develop instruments that operationalise the principle of broad inclusion and participation, thereby building an inclusive foundational ID system.

He added that the idea is to ensure that vulnerable and marginalised individuals and groups are given visibility and considered in the identity system.