With a centralized data base in Nigeria, it is easy to plan, execute and maintain projects aimed at improving the standard of living of Nigerians and the overall development of Nigeria, according to the Association of Non-Bank micro Finance Institutions of Nigeria (ANMFIN).
Actually, and for meaningful development in any country to be effective, a reliable and assured database is imperative.
It is against this back ANMFIN has moved to collaborate with the issuing authority for identity, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on the enrolment of its members into the National Identity Database (NIDB).
Speaking at the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) signing ceremony which held at the NIMC headquarters in Abuja recently, Mr. Godbless Safugha, executive secretary (ANMFIN), thanked the Commission for stretching the hands of collaboration and support towards its organization, adding that NIMC’s role in driving financial inclusion at the grass root through the provision of reliable data cannot be over emphasized.
He said: “For us at ANMFIN, we see the National Identity Management System (NIMS)project as an antidote for identity crisis management in Nigeria which willimprove financial services, social safety net programs, healthcare services, etc. So we chose to partner this platform for the clear transformationit will bring to the Nigerian people.”
He further stressed the relevance of the grassroots to the success of financial inclusion in Nigeria. “…today, Central Bank is preaching Financial Inclusion and to successfully achieve this goal, we must be able to reach the common man at the grassroots. If those people at the grass root are not identified, it becomes difficult to make any progress.”
“…But with NIMC coming on board, I am optimistic that we will achieve financial inclusion in a very short time because we can quickly identify those at the grassroots,” he added.
Speaking at the meeting, Barrister Chris Onyemenam, director general, National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, assured ANMFIN of NIMC’s support.
“We will do our utmost best to give you that support. I think you are closer to the bankers at the grass root. Am sure we can catch the rural bankers speedily through this collaboration,” he said.
The NIMC boss reiterated the commission’s commitment to identifying Nigerians to boost economic development. “God willing, we will continue to support efforts to uniquely identify Nigerians in a bid to fast track the prospects in the NIMS project in terms of economic development.”
The Commission, as established by Act No. 23 of 2007, has the mandate to foster the orderly development of an identity sector, register persons covered by the Act, assign a Unique National Identification Number (NIN) and issue General Multi-Purpose Cards (GMPC) to those registered individuals, and harmonize and integrate existing identification databases in Nigeria for verification and authentication purposes.