Mandatory use of National Identification Number [NIN] will come into full force on January 1, 2019, the Federal Government has said.

This followed last week’s approval by Federal Executive Council (FEC) of the immediate implementation of a strategic roadmap for a new Digital Identity Ecosystem, Director-General of National Identity Management Commission [NIMC], Mr Aliyu Abubakar Aziz said in a statement yesterday.

FEC at its meeting last week approved the new identity ecosystem strategy for the enrolment of Nigerians and legal residents into National Identity Database (NIDB), the statement said.

“FEC’s approval of the new Digital Identity Ecosystem will bring into full force the implementation of the provisions of NIMC Act 23, 2007, which include the enforcement of the mandatory use of National Identification Number (NIN) and the application of appropriate sanctions and penalties on defaulters as provided under Section 28 of the NIMC Act”, the statement added.

He said Section 27 of NIMC Act empowers the Commission to set a date for the enforcement of the use of NIN for transactions listed in the Act and also to expand applicable transaction in a Regulation approved by Attorney General of the Federation.

Aziz said the cut-off date for data eligible for harmonisation with National Identity Database (NIDB) is 1st of December 2018.

This means only data captured as at 30th November 2018 will be subjected to harmonisation as is currently on-going.

“Fresh data capture of persons shall be in compliance with the Provisions set out in Nigeria Biometric Standards; Mandatory use of NIN Regulations 2017 and guidelines issued by the Commission. That is to say the capturing agency must request and verify NIN before taking secondary demographic data of the person and where the person does not have a NIN, register such person (where it is licensed to do so) or refer such person to a NIN registration centre,” the statement said.

Daily Trust