In a statement by the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Aliyu Abubakar Aziz has disclosed that the Federal Government will be enforcing the mandatory use of the National Identification Number (NIN) beginning from January 2019.
According to Aziz, the mandatory usage of the identification number was approved by the Federal Executive Council (FEC) last week after the approval of immediate commencement of implementation of a strategic road map for a new Digital Identity Ecosystem.
“The FEC’s approval of the new Digital Identity Ecosystem will bring into full force the implementation of the provisions of the NIMC Act 23, 2007, which include the enforcement of the mandatory use of the National Identification Number (NIN) and the application of appropriate sanctions and penalties on defaulters as provided under Section 28 of the NIMC Act.”
Aziz explained that Section 27 of the NIMC Act empowers the Commission to set a date for the enforcement of the use of the NIN for transactions listed in the Act and also to expand applicable transaction in a Regulation approved by the Attorney General of the Federation.
“The Commission shall from 1st January 2019 commence full enforcement of the mandatory use of the NIN and apply all applicable sanctions and penalties as provided under Section 28 of the NIMC Act against defaulters.”
The statement further reads, “This means only data captured as at 30th November 2018 will be subjected to harmonisation as is currently on-going.
“Fresh data capture of persons shall be in compliance with the Provisions set out in the Nigeria Biometric Standards; Mandatory use of the NIN Regulations 2017 and guidelines issued by the Commission.
“That is to say the capturing agency must request and verify the NIN before taking secondary demographic data of the person and where the person does not have a NIN, register such person (where it is licensed to do so) or refer such person to a NIN registration centre.
“Only licensed public or private agencies shall capture and transmit biometric to the NIDB.
“Only the NIMC, Nigeria Police Force and other related security agencies shall store biometric data.”