James Emejo in Abuja
The launch of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)’s self-service application remains a major milestone intervention towards ensuring seamless National Identity Number (NIN) enrollment for Nigerians in the diaspora, Chief Executive, Barnksforte Technology Limited, Mr. Dayo Bankole, has said.
The mobile application was developed in partnership with Barnksforte, a local ICT company, in accordance with National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) Data Protection laws.
Addressing journalists, he said the use of the application, which is accessible from anywhere in the world, would enable Nigerians in the diaspora to enroll, modify, validate and obtain digital identity without the need to travel back to the country.
He said: “The Self-Service NIN enrolment is limited to Nigerians in the diaspora to enable them to self-enroll for NIN from the comfort of their homes.
“On modification of data, it is a global service that allows for modification of data of a Nigerian with NIN and it includes names, date of birth, address and phone number modifications.
“In the same vein, the validation is a global service that allows for validation of data for Nigerians with NIN by recapturing their facial and fingerprint biometrics to eliminate the challenge of missing biometrics and it is essential for standardisation.”
According to him, digital identity generation which is also a global service, allows for the conversion of NIN into a digital ID or QR Code and can be presented to third-party vendors when one’s NIN is required for day-to-day transactions.
This, he said, eliminates the exposure of NIN to the public and contains the owner’s biodata, finger and facial biometrics.
Bankole further explained that the application portal was one of the two modules of NIMC’s Contactless System, a cutting-edge technology enabled on mobile devices to support the seamless enrollment of Nigerians into the National Identity Database with no limitation, in addition to other NIMC services.
Essentially, the solution consists of a module in which NIMC’s enrollment partners, through their agents, enroll Nigerians for NIN all over the country and another module, the NIMC Self-Service Mobile Application launched recently.
Furthermore, Bankole said: “The contactless system was adopted by NIMC for portability and flexibility. It is deployed on mobile devices for registration and verification is flexible, and so, it is an all-in-one solution.
“Also, the solution supports enrollment in remote areas without internet access and electricity, meaning data can be captured in offline mode.
“It equally uses contactless biometrics to ensure optimum hygiene and non-duplication of finger biometrics, while minimizing the money spent on maintaining contact or traditional based biometric, which requires a computer, traditional scanner, and other external hardware.”
The acting Director General/Chief Executive, NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, recently emphasised the transformative power of identity, highlighting its role in unlocking access to essential services.
She said: “Identity is more than a mere card or a number; it symbolizes our existence, our entitlements, and our place within society. It unlocks access to essential services, social benefits, and pathways to personal and economic growth.
“It stands as a testament to our individuality while serving as a bridge to our shared humanity.”
She reiterated NIMC’s vision to provide every citizen and legal resident with a digital primary identity, making it a universal reference point, while emphasising that access to reliable identity is not a privilege but a fundamental right.
