- From September 1, 2015 to January 9, 2016, all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of Federal Government are to commence mandatory use of the National Identification Number (NIN) for identification.
- This postponement is coming from The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)
- The Commission had earlier directed that all transactions involving the identification of individuals as specified in Section 27 of NIMC Act, must be done with the NIN beginning from September 1, this year.
- Its General Manager, Corporate Communications, Abdulhamid Umar said the extension of the September date is sequel to the directive of President Muhammadu Buhari that all Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) should expeditiously harmonise their biometric databases.
- It would also help ensure that the need for double enrolment is reduced to the barest minimum during this transition period when the harmonisation is being implemented.
- Furthermore NIMC management has taken into consideration the fact that the CBN had extended by a few months, the deadline for the completion of the BVN exercise thus extending the time frame for the completion of the harmonization it has begun with the CBN on the BVN programme.
- It is expected that with the planned harmonisation which will effectively link all MDA biometric databases – INEC, FRSC, PenCom, FIRS/JTB, NHIS, FMARD and others, citizens will not be required to have their biometrics taken every time by these institutions in the near future.
NIMC Postpones Mandatory Use of NIN
