NIN will serve as Individual’s Identity – NIMS

By EMMA ELEBEKE

The National Identity Management Commission, NIMC  has said that  the Non- Intelligent 11 digits National Identification Number, NIN is what will genuinely reveal the identity of registrants at any point in time.

The NIN will be pulled and given to Nigerians and legal residents after successful enrolment

The Director Corporate Communications of the Commission, Mr Okwudiafor Anthony, who  revealed this  further explained that the National Identity Management System is entirely different from mere Photo Card issuance that was carried out in previous schemes.

He said the NIN is the Individual’s Identity and the numbers are what will be used for authentication and verification through a sub-system.

He pointed out that the unique Smart Card that will be issued to all those that have registered and collected their NIN is unique because it is chip based card and 100% poly carbonate  with 18 security features of international standard.

He also revealed that the Card also has 13 applications, including a payment solution, a match-on-card and an e-PRI.

The Director emphasized that the enrolment for the NIN is a continuous exercise from Mondays to Fridays with additional pre-enrolment portal that allows individuals to pre-enroll through the portal (www.ninenrol.gov.ng). The portal is capable of serving over one million pre-registration a day.

Okwudiafor added that the on-line pre- enrolment allows applicants to input their demographic data and print out the pre-registration slip that has a   2D Barcode and proceed to any nearest NIMC enrolment center to capture their biometrics and electronic signature which completes the process and  issue  the NIN.

He reiterated that the NIMS project is focused on Identity Management which is real time live processing of data from every location in line with the international standards (ICAO, ISO, IEEE, etc.) and best global practices.

Okwudiafor also revealed that more  enrolment centers will be opened in all the  LGAs areas across the Nation in addition to mobile enrolment centers in high traffic  locations like the military, pre-military, universities, MDA’S and  remote areas to cater for the grassroots.

He enumerated the benefits of the NIMS project which include  providing a convenient and simplified process for enrolment into the National Identity Management System.

The National Identification Number (NIN) will help protect individuals from identity theft and fraud by providing a simple, reliable, sustainable and universally acceptable means of conforming individual’s identity at all. The system will make it difficult for criminals to use false or multiple or ghost identities. The system will also enhance the work of Law Enforcement Agencies

The National Identity Management System  will also curb the ghost workers phenomenon in  civil/ public service which will consequently  help the Government  in National planning.