By Emmanuel Elebeke

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), has provided further clarifications on the planned enforcement of the use of the National Identification Number (NIN) by Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) and other bodies requiring the verification of individual’s identity in the country, like security outfits, banks and other financial institutions.

The General Manager, Legal Services at NIMC, Hadiza Dagabana, who made the clarification said that the Commission is taking this step pursuant to section 27 of the NIMC Act, which stipulates that transactions including, applications for, and issuance of an International Passport; opening of individual and/or group bank accounts, all consumer credits; purchase of insurance policies; the purchase, transfer and registration of land by any individual; National Health Insurance Scheme, such transactions that have social security implications, registration of voters, payment of taxes, and pensions, etc., will be done with the NIN, beginning from September 1, 2015.

Recall that the Commission had earlier announced that as from January 9, 2016, it would commence a drive to enforce the request and use of the number by relevant agencies.

According to Dagabana, the decision to allow more time before enforcement, is to provide enabling environment for the Commission to harp on the new drive to aggregate demographic and biometric databases from relevant MDAs and harmonize same as recently directed by the President through the office of the Vice President Yemi Osinbajo.