By Audrey Lotechukwu
MON, AUG 31 2020-theG&BJournal-President Muhammadu Buhari has approved the transfer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to the Ministry supervised by Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), the Federal Ministry of Communication and Digital Economy.
The Presidency in a statement released today by spokesperson to the Minister Uwa Suleiman, said the transfer is in line with effort to ensure synergy and effective ministry supervisory mechanism is put in place to coordinate, monitor and track the progress of Federal Government’s digital transformation initiatives.
‘’The approval for the transfer was based on Mr President’s consideration for the critical role of NIMC towards the realization of the objectives of the National Digital Economy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria (NDEPS),’’ the statement said, ‘’adding that the directive to transfer NIMC is an illustration of Mr President’s vote of confidence on Dr. Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami), based on an unprecedented performance.’’
The NIMC is mandated to create, manage, maintain and operate the National Identity Database by the NIMC Act 2007. The Commission to-date has registered around 41 million eligible enrolees for the National Identity Number (NIN).
The Ministry noted in the statement that the NIN, considered as a social security as well as civil number, is very important for economic planning and social intervention, adding that with National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, access to services and interventions will require it.
‘’We therefore urge all eligible individuals to enrol as soon as possible. Furthermore, the Minister is assuring Nigerians as well as residents that appropriate measures will be put in place to ensure that opportunities for enrolment are provided to all.’’
Pantami, the very highly regarded ICT and digital economy expert, is instrumental in the resolution of the ICT sector’s decade-long dilemma of Right of Way Charges. He was also able to secure President Buhari’s approval for the provision of security as well as designation of Telecommunications Infrastructure as Critical National Infrastructure, regularization of improperly registered SIM cards and deactivation of unregistered ones, the deployment of over 250 digital projects across the country under his policies and supervision as well as built the capacity of over 36, 000 Nigerians.
So far, the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) has details of over 191 million mobile subscribers. On other hand, the National Information Technology Development Agency has recorded huge successes in the development and implementation of the Nigerian Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), the country’s first codified data protection regulation. The Agency has also reached an advanced stage on the implementation of the National Public Key Infrastructure (NPKI). Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) also provides services to Government Agencies (infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-service and Software-as-a-service.)
‘’The need therefore for NIMC, NCC, NITDA and GBB to work closely together under the supervision of one ministry towards harnessing what has already been achieved cannot be overemphasised,’’ the Ministry said.
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