The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has stated that all Nigerians will receive the National Identification Number (NIN) within the next two years.
During an X Space event on Sunday, the Commission’s Head of Corporate Communications, Mr. Kayode Adegoke, revealed this information to inform Nigerians about the NIMC Self-Service Modification platform.
Adegoke stated that more than 105 million NINs have been issued, even though the commission’s most recent statistics indicate that as of December 2023, 104.16 million NINs have been issued. There are currently approximately 200 million people living in Nigeria, according to estimates.
“Over 105 million NIN have been granted to lawful permanent residents and Nigerians as of as now. We want to reassure Nigerians that we would enroll every Nigerian within the next year or two,” he stated.
The NIMC spokesperson went on to say that enrolling new members for NIN is an ongoing process and that if all Nigerians are enrolled, the agency will meet its goal.
Adegoke said the following while pleading with Nigerians to utilize the self-service modification facility, which enables them to make changes to their data without having to go to the NIMC office: “Previously, applicants had to physically come to our office or any of our centers to go and make the modification if they had problems with the data on their NIN.”
“But I want to remind Nigerians that strengthening the country’s national identification system was one of the goals of the Renewed Hope Agenda when President Bola Ahmed Tinubu GCFR took office on May 29, 2023.”
“In August, President Tinubu appointed Engineer Abisoye Coker to oversee the commission’s affairs. One of the things she noted when she was appointed DG/CEO was how difficult the enrollment and modification processes were. Consequently, she developed a self-service platform.”
“The goal of this service is to make sure that Nigerians, whether they live in this country or overseas, may get modifications without having to visit a center or be physically present. Nigerians can modify their phone numbers, email addresses, dates of birth, names, and other information using this website. Using their iOS or Android-based devices, they may perform all of these tasks in the convenience of their homes or workplaces.”
Adegoke stated that all changes are now completed through the self-service portal in 24-48 hours, as opposed to the previous practice of requiring users to wait months for the adjustment to take effect.
In response to inquiries regarding the distinctions between the long-running NIMC mobile app and the self-service portal, Adegoke stated that the two platforms serve distinct purposes.
He claims that although the mobile app allows for identification and can link mobile numbers to NIN, the self-service portal only permits data alteration, which is likewise not supported by the app.
However, to make the process simpler and more streamlined for Nigerians, attendees of the virtual conference recommended that the NIMC incorporate the same data update functionality into its app.
