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Tag: NIMC

  • Airtel, NIMC Urge Nigerians to Embrace Digital Identity Enrollment

    Airtel, NIMC Urge Nigerians to Embrace Digital Identity Enrollment

     

    … to commemorate National Identity Day on 16th September

     

    Leading telecommunications services provider, Airtel Nigeria, has announced a strategic partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to intensify the campaign on the need for Nigerians to embrace digital identity (ID) enrollment in commemoration of this year’s National Identity Day scheduled to hold today, 16th September.

     

    According to Airtel, the partnership with NIMC to mark the National Identity Day is in line with its commitment to support the government’s agenda of building a robust and reliable soft infrastructure and identity management system that will accelerate economic development as well as boost safety and security of all citizens and residents across the country.

     

    Commenting on the partnership, Chief Executive Officer and Managing Director, Airtel Nigeria, Surendran Chemmenkotil, said Airtel is delighted to join NIMC, the Nigerian government and other well-meaning stakeholders to create further awareness on the importance of identity and digital identity enrollment, noting that a solid national identity database is a powerful tool that can drive efficient economic and social planning, governance and service delivery.

     

    “Airtel commends the Honourable Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Prof Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) and the management of the NIMC under the leadership of Aliyu Aziz for their commitment to creating a world class identity database for Nigerians and for the relentlessness in inspiring several platforms and initiatives to put the conversation around identity management on the front burner. Airtel is excited to join NIMC in hosting this year’s identity management day and we will continue to support the institution in delivering its mandate to Nigerians,” he said.

     

    According to the Director General and Chief Executive Officer, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Aliyu Aziz, the commission is celebrating 16th September as National Identity Day in collaboration with the global agitation for the day to be formally declared as world international identity day.

     

    “Nigeria has been positioned to take giant steps in providing unique identity to all through collaboration with government institutions and viable partnership with the private sectors.  The essence of this celebration is to create awareness among Nigerians on the importance of identification as a tool for national development.

     

    “We need more Nigerians to not only understand the role identity plays in improving governance but also in empowering individuals to exercise their rights and responsibilities fairly and equitably in a modern society. We are delighted Nigeria became the first country in the world to declare September 16 as ID Day, thereby leading the rest of the world in this important direction”, he said.

     

    September 16 has been recognized annually as National Identity Day in Nigeria since 2019, following approval of the Federal Government under the administration of President Muhammadu Buhari, GCFR, to join the Coalition for International Identity Day.

     

    The National Identity Day is commemorated as part of the Government’s efforts to promote awareness on the importance of identity in enhancing access to rights, social services and formal economy.

     

     

  • ATCIS Lauds NIMC’s Decision Allowing Telcos Generate NINs, Raises Concerns Over Safety of Subscribers’ Data

    ATCIS Lauds NIMC’s Decision Allowing Telcos Generate NINs, Raises Concerns Over Safety of Subscribers’ Data

    Nigerian telephone subscribers have lauded the decision of the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC to license telecommunications companies to register people who do not have National Identity Numbers.

    According to the subscribers, the decision would no doubt go a long way in reducing the large crowds that normally throng the NIMC offices on daily basis.

    Speaking with Business Bells on Wednesday, the National President of Association of Telephone, Cable TV and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS), Prince Sina Bilesanmi said the gesture was a welcome development as it is long overdue.

    “I consider it good news that the NIMC has given the mobile network operators, MNO licences. I believe it would help in reducing the crowds as well the risk of people contracting COVID-19 especially against the manner in which Minister of Communications and Digital Economy (Dr Isa Ali Ibrahim (Pantami) has exposed our people in this period of pandemic.

    “This is part of what we have been clamouring for that the NIN registration should be suspended considering the situation we are in whereby people are expected to strictly observe social distancing, but unfortunately the bid to beat the NIN registration deadline has made people to throw caution into the winds,” Bilesanmi submitted.

    The Business Bells reported on Wednesday that the Director-General, NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, announced that some other private and public organisations had also been licensed by the commission to provide NINs in order to address the crowds at commission’s offices.

    Responding to an enquiry as regards measures taken by NIMC with respect to complains by citizens and the crowds at the commission’s offices, Aziz said mobile network operators had been empowered to also give the identity numbers.

    “We have licensed private and public sector organisations including telcos (telecommunications companies) so as to create more centres,” he stated.

     

    Association of Telephone, Cable TV and Internet Subscribers of Nigeria (ATCIS),

    However, while subscribers believe that with telecommunications firms set to be issuing out NINs, it would reduce the stress on NIMC staff nationwide, they have on the other hand raised another important poser about the safety of their personal data.

    According to the ATCIS President, Prince Bilesanmi, the federal government should compel the Association of Licensed Telecommunication Operators of Nigeria (ALTON) to ensure that personal data of subscribers are safe with its members ( telecom operators).

    “Now that the government has decided to allow telecom operators and other private organisations to provide the NIN for Nigerians, we at ATCIS are saying that it is a good decision and we support it. But the question we need to ask is; how safe are the data being provided by subscribers?

    “We are raising this poser because there had been reported cases in the past whereby telcos staff connive with fraudsters by selling off their data to them for fraudulent activities.

    “ALTON should assure us that subscribers’ data are safe with its members,” he said.

    Basically, ensuring that the NINs issued to individuals are protected and kept safe from fraudsters cannot be over-emphasized as the NIN-SIM linkage is primarily for security purposes.

    Government believes that harmonising all phone numbers through the NIN will help curb rising cases of terrorism and banditry because most of the bad guys would have no option but to link their phone lines to the NIN or lose their numbers.

    This, government said, will definitely help to curtail and checkmate the lingering security challenges in some parts of the country.

    Speaking on the importance of ongoing NIN-SIM linkage, Pantami, had warned Nigerians to secure and protect their NINs, urging subscribers to desist from selling their NINs or allowing others to use their NINs for registration.

    “For any act committed with the SIM, good or bad, it will be officially traced and attached to the NIN owner,” the Minister warned.

    On December 15, 2020, the Federal Government had declared that after December 30, 2020, all SIMs that were not registered with valid NINs on the network of telecommunications companies would be blocked.

    It later extended the December 30, 2020 deadline following widespread opposition against the earlier announcement and gave three weeks’ extension for subscribers with NIN from December 30, 2020 to January 19, 2021.

    It also gave six weeks’ extension for subscribers without NIN from December 30, 2020 to February 9, 2021, but many organisations had called for further deadline extension or outright suspension of the NIN registration process due to the large crowds who had yet to have their NINs.

    To be part of ATCIS, please visit:

    www.atcisnigeria.com

    Email: atcisnigeria@gmail.com

    Instagram: atcisnigeria

    Twitter: @atcis9ja

    Facebook: atcisnigeria

    P.O Box: 8356, Marina

    Call ATCIS: 07052713300.

  • NIMC Gives MTN, Airtel, Others Licence To Provide NIN

    NIMC Gives MTN, Airtel, Others Licence To Provide NIN

    Telecommunications companies have been licensed to register people who do not have National Identity Numbers so as to reduce the large crowds at the offices of the National Identity Management Commission, the NIMC has said.

     

    Director-General, NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, said some other private and public organisations had also been licensed by the commission to provide NINs in order to address the crowds at commission’s offices.

     

    This came as workers of the commission said on Tuesday that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, had constituted a committee to address the demands of NIMC employees.

     

    NIMC workers had downed tools on January 7, 2021 in protest against the poor welfare issues at the commission, but their strike was suspended after the intervention of the minister.

     

    Responding to an enquiry as regards measures taken by NIMC with respect to complains by citizens and the crowds at the commission’s offices, Aziz said mobile network operators had been empowered to also give the identity numbers.

     

    “We have licensed private and public sector organisations including telcos (telecommunications companies) so as to create more centres,” he stated in a WhatsApp message to our correspondent.

     

    On December 15, 2020, the Federal Government declared that after December 30, 2020, all SIMs that were not registered with valid NINs on the network of telecommunications companies would be blocked.

     

    It later extended the December 30, 2020 deadline following widespread opposition against the earlier announcement and gave three weeks’ extension for subscribers with NIN from December 30, 2020 to January 19, 2021.

     

    It also gave six weeks’ extension for subscribers without NIN from December 30, 2020 to February 9, 2021, but many organisations had called for further deadline extension or outright suspension of the NIN registration process due to the large crowds who had yet to have their NINs.

     

    On the meeting between NIMC workers and the communication minister, the President, Association of Senior Civil Servants of Nigeria, NIMC Unit, Asekokhai Lucky, said some resolutions were reached.

     

    He said the minister told the union that some of the demands being presented by the workers were new to him, as he only took over the supervisory role of NIMC in October 2020.

     

    “So what he (Pantami) did was to set up a seven-man committee to work on the issues and submit a report to him in two weeks’ time,” Lucky stated.

     

    Lucky said the 21-day ultimatum earlier issued the management of NIMC was still in force, although there had been calls for the union to step down the ultimatum.