NIMC Pledges Commitment to National Card Issuance

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has said registration and issuance of national identity card are in still in progress, urging Nigerians to ensure they get registered to obtain their National Identity Number (NIN).

Head, Corporate Communications Unit, NIMC, Loveday Chika Ogbonna, who the call in a statement made available to THISDAY, said Nigerians should discard rumors making the rounds that NIMC has suspended the national identity card issuance.

“The commission has not suspended the issuance of national identity cards to successful enrolees at any time. Accordingly, all individuals who, upon completion of their enrolment, have received an SMS, are invited to proceed to the NIMC Office where they enrolled to pick up their cards beginning from April 2018.

Persons who have not received an SMS can equally check the status of their cards on the NIMC website via www. nimc.gov.ng.

Citizens and legal residents who have also relocated from where they enrolled are advised to visit any NIMC office closest to them to request a card transfer form, which they would fill, and submit to the state coordinator for processing,” Ognonna said.

“However, Nigerians and legal residents are reminded that the NIN is the unique identifier and most important token issued by the Commission and not the physical e-ID Card,” Ogbonna added.

The NIN, which is fast gaining acceptance by Nigerians, is a set of 11 non-intelligent numbers randomly assigned to an individual at the completion of enrolment into the National Identity Database (NIDB).

“The NIN is used to tie all records about an individual in the database and is verifiable via the NIMC Verification Service (NVS) portal which is made available to institutions and organisations upon request.

Section 27 (1) and (2) of the NIMC Act, 2007, states that transactions including, application for and issuance of an International Passport; opening of individual and/ or group bank accounts, all consumer credits; purchase of insurance policies, purchase, transfer and registration of land by any individual; National Health Insurance Scheme, and such transactions that have social security implications, registration of voters, payment of taxes, and pensions, will be done with the NIN,” Ogbonna said.