National Identity Management Commission, says it is committed to creating, managing, operating and maintaining a secured National Identity database by issuing National Identification Number to all Nigerians and legal residents.

The Commission says is on the right track to ensure Nigerians and legal residents have digital identities in fulfillment of its mandate.

Its Director-General, Aliyu Aziz, said since he assumed office in twenty-fifteen enrollment was at seven million, but as at today the Commission had about thirty-five million record in its database.

Aziz attributed the success to the Commission gazette regulations of twenty-seventeen, which makes National Identification Number mandatory for accessing services like international passport, insurance, pension among others.

“Another factor is the harmonization of data with Bank Verification Number (BVN), SIM card registration, voters’ registration, and drivers’ license among other,’’ he said.

He also said the ongoing Diaspora enrollment is another factor that has contributed to the success of NIMC.

“Competent Nigerian Companies, who are in the businesses of providing similar services by themselves or in partnership with other competent companies in Diaspora jurisdictions are licensed to enroll Nigerians living outside the country to prevent them from being disenfranchised,” he said.

According to Aziz, NIMC is currently working with World Bank, Agence Française de Dévelopement (AFD) and European Union (EU) on a strategic roadmap.

This he said would enable the commission to work in partnership with other data collecting government agencies with a view to having a single database.

“The approach termed -the ecosystem will allow NIMC license competent and qualified public and private sector service providers to carry out enrollment and issue NIN to Nigerians and legal residents.

“Approval was gotten in September 2018 from the Federal Executive Council and NIMC is in the process of implementation, already we have advertised expression of interest on national dailies on our website,” he said.