The Federal Capital Territory Administration (FCTA) recently announced that land within the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) can only be acquired by persons with National Identification Number (NIN), a development which raises questions on if the government is within its rights.
According to the FCT Minister Muhammed Bello, who made the announcement when he was visited by Aliyu Aziz, the Director-General of National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), it would aid in preventing multiple land allocations.
Mr Bello said the NIN would also ensure fairness and equity in the land allocation process.
He lauded the DG of NIMC for the increase in enrollment figures and measures put in place to ensure safety of data of Nigerians in the National Identity Database (NIDB), and also commended the on-going harmonization efforts, noting that it was a step in the right direction to check duplication of functions among data collecting agencies.
The NIMC Act makes NIN mandatory for every citizen and legal resident, and is already being implemented by top Government agencies as a basic requirement for offering Government services.
NIN
The National Identification Number (NIN) is a set of numbers assigned to an individual, upon successful enrollment, which consists of the recording of an individual’s demographic data and capture of the ten (10) fingerprints, head-to-shoulder facial picture and digital signature, which are all used to cross-check existing data in the National Identity Database to confirm that there is no previous entry of the same data.
Once this (de-duplication) process is completed the data is then stored with a unique NIN that is assigned to it. The NIN once issued to a person cannot be used again, (that is, it cannot be issued to another person even if the previous person is dead).
The NIMC ACT
In 2007, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act was established to provide for the establishment of the NIMC, its functions, powers, establishment of the National Identity Database, assignment and use of General Multi-purpose cards, and the (NIN).
The Act also provides the Commission with powers to make regulations connected with its functions. The NIMC Act 2007 provides the repeal of the law that created the former Department of National Civic Registration (DNCR) and the transfer of its assets and liabilities to the NIMC.
According to Section 27 of the Act, the NIN issued to a registered individual must be presented in the following transactions:
- Application for and issuance of passport
- Opening of individual and or personal accounts
- Purchase of insurance policies
- Subject to the provision of Land Use Act, the purchase, transfer and registration of land by any individual and any transaction connected therewith.
This means for acquisition and allocation of land, an individual must provide his/her NIN number during negotiation process.
Section 28 of the same act stated that any person who refuses to provide relevant data or information to the Commission if found guilty:
“Shall be liable on conviction to a fine of not less than N250,000.00 or imprisonment for a term not less than 3 years or to both such fine and imprisonment.”
Its Benefits
According to the DG of NIMC, Mr Aliyu Aziz, Nigerians should take the NIN serious as it serves veritable feature to be identified as Nigerians.
He likened the NIN to the Social Security Number in America, National Insurance Number in the United Kingdom (UK) and Aadhaar in India.
“NIMC’s current focus is on the number – NIN and not card. We are already in a digital economy driven by unique index numbers and not by physical tokens such as a card, though the law specified we should issue general multipurpose smart cards as the exercise continues.
According to the information provided on its website, nimc.gov.ng, the NIN is important because it make “it relatively easy to confirm and verify your identity when you engage in travels and transactions.”
It would also help in providing accurate records about actual living/dead persons in every region of the Country.
- Keeping track of actual transactions as well as movement of people within and out of the country
- Confirming which individuals are in actual need of particular Government services, e.g. age and retirement confirmation for pensioners.
- Cutting down the time needed for verifying documents to properly identify you in order to access the services you require
- Reducing errors in allocation of services to the right people
- Prevention of fraud (419) where someone else impersonates you
- Verification of the real identity of other people you go into financial or business transactions with or even people you wish to employ such as house help
- Ensuring you are properly identified when receiving health services, e.g. verifying the actual blood types of blood donors at hospitals
- Verification of voter eligibility during elections.
It also covers Nigerians that are living abroad and would help in identifying the true citizens of the Country.
It would also assist the Government in having more accurate statistical data of its citizens living abroad, enable easier discovery of relatives and friends worldwide and secure international transactions.
