Identification: Lawmakers urge Commission to register Nigerians at birth

The House of Representatives has urged the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to collaborate with the Federal Ministry of Health, Partner Agencies, Hospitals and other relevant agencies to enroll, register and generate National Identification Number (NIN) for all Nigerian citizens and residents at birth.

They also urged NIMC and partner agencies to urgently resolve the issues for a seamless and nationwide NIN registration and card issuance.

This followed a motion sponsored by Olamijuwonlo Alao Akala titled “Call For Better Service in the Production of National Identity Number”.

While leading debate on the motion, the lawmaker noted that the National Identification Number is a security measure used to match individuals with their barometric data, tie all records in the database, and establish or verify their identity.

He said, the House observed that, Nigerians face arduous experiences during registration despite various enrollment options and service centers, with most Nigerians yet to collect their NIN cards despite successful registration.

According to Akala, NIN is the foundational ecosystem of identifying Nigerians, and its functional identification purpose will be defeated if all citizens cannot access their unique national identification number.