Mandatory use of National Identity Number (NIN) in Nigeria commences January 2019

The mandatory use of the national identity number (NIN) will begin in the country from January 2019. This position was made known by the director general of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Aliyu Abubakar Aziz.

According to Aziz, the Federal Executive Council (FEC) approved the immediate implementation of a roadmap for a new digital identity ecosystem for the enrollment of Nigerians and legal residents into the National Identity Database (NIDB).

“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,” the statement read.

The approval of the 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 by January 1, 2019 and the application of appropriate sanctions and penalties on defaulters as provided under Section 28 of the NIMC Act and Regulations.

Aziz said the NIMC act gives the commission the power to set a date for the enforcement of the use of NIN for eligible transactions. The NIN is to be used for international passport registration, health insurance, financial transactions and drivers license. The cut-off date for data eligible for harmonization with the National Identity Database (NIDB) is December 1, 2018.

He further noted that the NIN is an integral part of the Economic Recovery and Growth Plan launched in April 2017 (ERGP) and was designed “as an omnibus strategy for the government to meet the critical needs of the citizenry in areas such as food security, energy, transport, human capital development, but more critically developing a local digital economy.”

The NIMC DG thanked the president, Muhammadu Buhari, and the vice president, Yemi Osinbajo, as well as members of the FEC, National Assembly, World Bank, French development agency – AFD, the European Union/EIB and members of the Harmonisation Committee for the achievement.