The Federal government is enhancing its biometric system to improve security and identity verification. This comes as the number of National Identification Numbers (NINs) issued hits 104 million as of January 2024.
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), in partnership with IDEMIA Smart Identity, is upgrading the biometric system to improve Nigeria’s identity verification process.
The upgraded system will handle 1 million identity verification searches daily and accommodate Nigeria’s growing population.
The NIN functions as a unique identifier for Nigerians, similar to the Social Security Number in the United States or the AADHAR number in India.
The partnership with IDEMIA ensures compliance with open standards for seamless connectivity within the identity management ecosystem.
Olivier Charlanes, Senior Vice President of IDEMIA Smart Identity, and Abisoye Coker-Odusote, CEO of NIMC, emphasize the importance of delivering a reliable solution to Nigerians.
The NIMC aims to enroll 148 million Nigerians by June 2024, with over 530,345 Nigerians in the diaspora already issued NINs.
This upgrade aligns with the United Nations’ sustainable development goal of providing a legal identity for all by 2030 and showcases IDEMIA’s capability to deploy large-scale technological solutions in Africa.