The National Identity Management Commission has disclosed that the number of Nigerians with National Identification Numbers has increased to 110 million.
The figures, which were released earlier in the year, have seen a 2.39 per cent increase from the 107.34 million that was recorded as of the end of May 2024.
The increase was announced by the Commission’s Director General Abisoye Coker-Odusote on Monday at the ongoing event to commemorate the sixth edition of the National Day of Identity. The event was tagged, Digital Public Infrastructure: Enabling Access to Services, which is held in the nations capital Abuja.
The DG noted that the realization of the new figure was due to the strategic plan which the new management of the NIMC has implemented. She emphasised that the role DPI plays in economic development has been indispensable.
She explained that DPI has played the role of offering frameworks which connect citizens to essential services such as social welfare, healthcare, education, and financial inclusion. She noted that the NIMC has been in the front of managing the figures, which has led to the increment of the figures to 110 million Nigerians.
She noted that the work done by the NIMC has provided a good platform for the other two pollers of the DPI, which are data exchange and payment, to be laid on a foundational identity for its effective development and adoption.
According to the DG, the area where the NIMC have been able to help the government includes financial institutions in facilitating digital payments, digital money, digital identity and digital processes.
While speaking on the NIMC involvement, the NIMC disclosed that the identification management agency was on the right path and key strides have been made through collaboration and partnerships with government agencies and private sector players linking NINs and phone numbers with the telecommunication companies, NINs and Bank Verification Number harmonisation with financial institutions to facilitate digital payments, digital money, digital identity and digital processes.
In the current student loan scheme, it was disclosed that through collaborating with 257 institutions, 332,715 students have been registered for loans, and over 18,000 students have already received payments through the initiative. She noted that Student Loan Initiative showcases how DPI can eliminate financial barriers to education.
