Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo has hinted the federal government plan to invest in the harmonisation of the Nigerian citizen data through the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC. Tunji-Ojo disclosed that the era of multiple ID registration in Nigeria will soon be over as the agency plan to merge all data of Nigerian captured in all licensing offices. The Minister made this known when he received the MTN management team led by the CEO, Karl Toriola for a courtesy call today in his office in Abuja today.
In a statement released by the minister’s media adviser, Babatunde Alawo, the federal government has since mandated the NIMC to do the needful through ensuring that all data for the county are narrowed down to a single database.
He said there was a need for a country like Nigeria to have a tech-driven data hub under the ministry.
The Minister noted that it is one of the president Tinubu priorities to enhance the country’s database system for the purpose of national planning and for security architecture.
The statement released by Alawao partly reads; “We must have an interior hub, a massive data centre where we will have all our identity information documented.
“Data harmonization is key. If we succeed at the Ministry of Interior, the success will start with NIMC. The integrity of our travel document must be restored through the harmonization of our data.
“This way, our people do not have to repeat data capture processes during the passport enrolment phase when they have a valid NIN.”
The minister revealed that data harmonisation will greatly help the country to cut down the stress being undergo by citizens whenever the need for an identity arises..
According to him, “When we harmonize our data, there will be an exchange amongst agencies such that when our people need data for passport or BVN, with their NIN, their data can be pulled out. This will not only save us stress, cost, and energy but also help us optimise our processes.”
Tunji-Ojo noted that having a BVN number, a voter’s card number, an NIN, and a passport number at once was needless.
Instead he said: “Information regarding issuance of driving licenses and Passports, Bank Verification Numbers, National Identity Numbers, Subscribers Identity Modules, and others should be harmonised into digital chips for planning and execution of government programmes for accelerated development.
He explained that “If NIMC performs well, NIS will perform better, and the police, NSCDC, and other agencies will perform admirably above par.”
