EU CERTIFIES NIGERIA’S IDENTIFICATION PROJECT

The European Union (EU) has certified the Unified Identification System in Nigeria being mid-wife by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC’s). The UIS is expected bring real and recognizable benefits to Nigeria and other countries across the globe.

 The new Ambassador/Head of Delegation of European Union (EU) to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), His Excellency, Ambassador Michel Arrion made the remark when he paid a courtesy visit to the NIMC Headquarters in Abuja.

According to him, Identity plays a key role in the growth and development of any economy and the NIMC’s quest to create a paradigm shift from the Identity Card issuance to the National Identity Management System (NIMS) is a great potential for the country.

He said: “I see potentials for the NIMS project; the NIMC objectives and mandate, when fully implemented will boost the nation’s economy and help drive foreign investment.”

“The European Union also has links with the INEC, the EFCC, and other Ministries, Departments and Agencies, and will together with the NIMC, create a database of all Nigerians who do business with members of the European Union (EU),” he added.

The Ambassador however cautioned the Commission on human rights issues and on the protection of data captured from citizens and legal residents of the country saying it must be done with every sense of authority and discipline.

The Director General of the Commission, Barrister Chris  Onyemenam, while responding said that the Commission since its new mandate of creating a National Identity Management System (NIMS) in 2007, has made conscious efforts to establish relationships with International Institutions in order to tap into the vast experiences and resources of these Institutions.

Onyemenam started that creating such relationships is important for NIMC, because “the mandate to create a NIMS and harmonize the captured data into a National Database is more or less a green field for the Commission, which was centred on Card Issuance in its previous efforts.”

He noted that the Commission should be able to leverage on the experiences in Europe and America, as well as draw support from the International Institutions to scale up the NIMS enrollment exercise, and the Verification and Harmonization process.