“Gone are those days when tribal marks were used to identify persons. Nowadays, you must have an Identity Number to be a genuine citizen or legal resident of Nigeria,”
The National Identity Management Commission has commenced the training of National Orientation Agency officers in the 23 local government areas of Kaduna State on the importance of obtaining National Identity Numbers.
“Gone are those days when tribal marks were used to identify persons. Nowadays, you must have an Identity Number to be a genuine citizen or legal resident of Nigeria,” the NOA state coordinator, Zubairu Galadima-Soba, said.
The News Agency of Nigeria reports that the training is the prelude to a state-wide campaign to be run by the two organisations to mobilise residents to enrol in the National Identity Management System.
Galadima-Soba said at the training on Monday in Kaduna that Nigerians should be made aware that obtaining the National Identification Number is a civic responsibility.
“The National Identity Number is a unique number given to citizens and legal residents of Nigerians to identify them.
“Gone are those days when tribal marks were used to identify persons. Nowadays, you must have an Identity Number to be a genuine citizen or legal resident of Nigeria,” he said.
Galadima-Soba added that the collaboration with NIMC would assist in increasing the number of registered Nigerians and legal residents on the National Identity Database.
Meanwhile, NIMC state coordinator, Abubakar Hassan said that the biometric data gathered during the registration of the identification number would help curb the menace of terrorism in the country.
“The system will address the insecurity problem currently faced in the nation because all citizens data would be gathered in the National Identity Database.
”The easy and convenient way of accessing information of people who have the NIN would help detect fraud and identity thieves,” he added.
Hassan who explained that all citizens and legal residents were eligible for enrollment into the system, but said children under 16 are not eligible.
He urged Nigerians who have not enrolled into the system to do so because of the benefits those that registered are getting from the government.
