President Muhammadu Buhari has decided to move the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy.
The announcement was made in a statement by Uwa Suleiman, spokesperson for the Minister of communication Isa Pantami.
The approval of the president was focused on NIMC’s role in achieving the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for Digital Nigeria (NDEPS) goals.
Suleiman noted that Pantami has addressed, among others, the ten-year issue of the right of way charges in the ICT sector during his first year in office.
The statement reported the numbers of 191 million mobile subscribers are now available to the Nigerian Communications Commission ( NCC).
It said the National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) was successful in developing the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), the first codified data protection regulation in the country.
Noting that Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) provides government agencies with Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service and Software-as-a-Service, Suleiman said it was important for NIMC, NCC, NITDA and GBB “to work closely together under the supervision of a single ministry.”
The ministry has stressed the importance of National Identification Number (NIN) for economic planning and social action.
Suleiman has urged all Nigerians to register as quickly as possible.
“Access to services and programs would require it with the digitization initiatives of the Federal Government in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy,” he added.
National Identification Database is maintained and operated by NIMC.
The agency has reported more than 40 million eligible NIN enrolments.
