By Stanley Iwuoha
The Director General of the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, says that rampant killings and kidnapping has continued to fester in the country because hoodlums succeeded in circumventing previous engagements and directives requiring people to use the NIN to register their Sim cards across the country .
The DG, stated this while responding to questions on Thursday at annual Consultation Workshop with Stakeholders organized by the ID4D in partnership with other partners in Abuja.
He promised that to ensure that the focus and essence of identity registration in line with global standards and practice is not derailed by criminals, even if it means to change some of the provisions in the National identity management Act.
Odusote, who was represented by her Technical Assistant, Ayobami Zainab Abiola noted that previous directives requiring people to use the NIN to register their Sim cards was manipulated by some criminal elements, hence, the surge in recent killings and kidnapping.,
She said, ‘‘NIMC is assisting government to cub rampant killings and kidnappings, she said NIMC is working with security agencies to ensure we use the NIN in a way that we secure the country. There has been previous engagements and directives requiring people to use the NIN to register their Sim cards, however, people have in some cases tried to circumvent that and this is to the detriment of using these information for security purposes’’.
However, ‘Odusote informed that the NIMC is working very closely with security agencies to plug all of these holes, having been able to locate these loopholes in the process being exploited by hoodlums. ‘‘We are working also not with the security agencies, but with NCC and MNOs to plug these holes on the things that are happening at the backend. We are working hard to see great improvement on that’’.
On registration of foreigners, the DG said,’’ These are things people had been able to exploit due to the porosity of the borders and because certain people not doing the checks required to ensure that the person that had been captured is a citizens. This is also part of the holistic process the DG is working on and that is part of what is going to be addressed at a retreat holding in Nasarawa’’.
Earlier in his welcome address, the ECSU coordinator, DID4D, Solomon Odole, said the idea behind the workshop was to ensure that vulnerable and marginalized individuals and groups were given visibility and adequately considered in the identity system.
‘‘This workshop is not just about professional development but also an opportunity to foster meaningful connections and build lasting relationships’’.
The workshop was aimed at fostering collective efforts among various stakeholders to foster a robust and inclusive foundational ID for every Nigerian and legal resident devoid of any form of discrimination or hinderance that ensures their access to services.
Participants at the workshop were: representatives of CSOs, Persons with disabilities, vulnerable and marginalized groups, relevant public institutions, international donor organizations, and funding partners.
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) established by the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007, has the mandate to establish, own, operate, maintain and manage the National Identity Database in Nigeria, register persons covered by the Act, assign a Unique National Identification Number (NIN) and issue General Multi-Purpose Cards (GMPC) to those who are citizens of Nigeria as well as others legally residing within the country.
The NIMC Act 2007 provides for the establishment of the NIMC, its functions, powers, establishment of the National Identity Database, assignment of the National Identification Number (NIN) as well as issuance of token General Multi-purpose cards. The Act also provides the Commission with powers to make regulations connected with its functions. The NIMC Act 2007 provides the repeal of the law that created the former Department of National Civic Registration (DNCR) and the transfer of its assets and liabilities to the NIMC.
NIMC operates and regulates matters of national identity in Nigeria with services covering National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment and issuance, National e-ID card issuance, identity verification as well as data harmonization and authentication.
Currently, the Commission is headed by Engr. Abisoye Coker Odusote, who has over eighteen years of experience in information technology telecommunications, finance, oil & gas, healthcare, government, and public utilities.
She served as the Technology & Communications head at Bate Litwin (an engineering company, a former subsidiary of Litwin, France) on projects such as Chevron ESA (JV with Atlas, etc.). Prior to her stint at Bate Litwin, she has held several key positions in different companies, where she was responsible for information technology policies and systems implementation, project management and software development, across Nigeria and the United Kingdom. With her expertise and wealth of experience in information technology and data management, she has consulted for various entities on development and implementation of robust electronic identity database management systems.
She was the General Manager/Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Infrastructure Maintenance and Regulatory Agency (“LASIMRA”). As the General Manager of LASIMRA, her day-to-day functions, saw her managing key utility infrastructure providers – telecommunication, power, and gas operators – to promote standards and procedures in infrastructural development and maintenance, reducing damage to public utilities whilst fostering collaboration amongst the stakeholders in improving public safety and transforming Lagos state to a smart city.
