The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on Monday said only 57.3 million Nigerians have done their National Identity Management (NIN) registration out of the 200 million population in the country.
Mr Aliyu Aziz, the Director-General, NIMC, said this at a workshop to co-create a Roadmap for a digital registration system as part of the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (CRVS) in Nigeria in Abuja.
Aziz said that a strong national identity system was vital to building a viable economy and nation and called for intensive birth registrations by all in the country aimed at providing legal identity for all by 2030 in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).
He said, “Birth registration will engender financial inclusion and improvement of welfare. Foundational identity is very important for National Planning.’’
The NIMC boss, who reiterated the imperatives of birth registrations, affirmed the determination of the commission to collaborate with the National Population Commission (NPC) in the actualisation of the legal identification agenda.
Dr Yemi Kale, the Statistician-General, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), who was represented by Mr Abolade Sunarjudeen, praised the National Population Commission (NPC) for its effort in transiting the country from manual to digital birth registrations.
While noting that a partnership with the population commission was key to reliable population data, Kale called for increased awareness and sensitisation on the importance of birth registration in the country.
Recall that in May 2021, the Federal Government announced a further extension of the ongoing NIN registration and linkage with SIM exercises to a new deadline of June 30, 2021.
This was due to the request by stakeholders who asked for an extension for the exercise which was to elapse on May 6 to a new date of June 30 in order to make it easier for all citizens and legal residents to register