Nigerians to get unique identity in 5 years – FG

The Federal Government said every Nigerian will get a unique identification under the new digital identity scheme in the next five years.

Vice President Yemi Osinbajo disclosed this in Abuja yesterday at the workshop on Strategic Roadmap on ID Ecosystem for Nigeria.

He said getting unique identifications for all Nigerians would speed up development across various segments of the country.

Represented by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on ICT, Lanre Osibona, Osibanjo said the new identity system would benefit both citizens and government, especially during planning.

He said the clean copy of digital identity ecosystem roadmap document would be taken to the Federal Executive Council for ratification.

He noted that 25 government agencies have collaborated to come up with the roadmap, which he said would be transmitted to the National Assembly soon.

Among the aim of the digital identification system, Osinbajo said, is to stem duplication of identification and to share correct citizens identification data by various agencies of government without conflict.

The Director General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Aliyu A. Aziz said the focus of the ecosystem approach is to ensure that every individual in Nigeria is given a unique identity within the next 3 - 5 years.

“And it can only happen when we all work together”, he said.

The Minister of Labour & Employment, Sen. Chris Ngige (2nd right), Ambassador of Italy to Nigeria, Stefano Pontesilli (right) with some members of the diplomatic corps, during the recently concluded International Week of Italian Cuisine, hosted by the...