Mr. Chris Onyemenam, director-general, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), has disclosed that the country requires N30 billion to build up infrastructure for the creation of a secure National Identity Database to enhance necessary authentication and verification nationwide.
He said the amount which was estimated in 2007, is expected to take care of the development of permanent Identity Registration Centres (IRCs) across the country to ensure that enrolments into the National Identity Database (NID) takes place on daily basis all round the year like any other civil service activity.
Mr. Onyemenam said this in Abuja while fielding questions on the commission’s forthcoming National Identity Management conference slated for September 21-23, 2008 which theme is "Delivering Nigeria’s Identity Management system".
NIMC director general admitted that the National Identity Card registration exercise which started in 2003 had hiccups; but maintained that it was successful with some areas for improvement.
He added, a total of 37.5 million cards had been produced and issued while the total personal information of Nigerians obtained has reached 53 million.
He explained that the Commission was created by the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007 with the primary responsibility of creating and maintaining a national identity management infrastructure that would enable individuals to prove or assert their identity in a dependable manner anywhere in Nigeria.
According to him, ‘to achieve its objectives, the commission’s strategy is focused on expanding, extending and enhancing existing infrastructure and where necessary existing obsolete technology and processes in order to establish a reliable, secure and scaleable Identity Management System infrastructure that utilizes advanced biometric technologies to uniquely identify every individual in the country’.
He pointed out that the funding of the envisaged new model of National Identity Database would involve Public Private Partnership, adding that government alone cannot fund the process.
The fund he said is estimated at between N23 and N30 billion in 2007 may be more or less when the actual inventory of the structures inherited from the defunct department of National Civic Registration. He assured the commission’s determination to evolve international best practice in the National Identity compilation.
The objectives of the conference, he enumerated include sharing best practice in developing national identity management systems among country officials , highlighting how an appreciation of identity management can make for better business strategies to the benefit of the whole economy.
