The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has been moved to the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy following Buhari’s order.

Nigeria’s President Muhammadu Buhari has given his approval for the transfer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy. 

Uwa Suleiman, Spokesperson to Isa Pantami, the Minister, made the announcement in a statement.

 The president’s approval was based on the role of NIMC towards the realization of the objectives of the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy for a Digital Nigeria (NDEPS). 

Suleiman noted that Pantami has within his first year in office resolved the ICT sector’s decade-long dilemma of Right of Way charges, among others. The statement confirmed that the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) now has details of 191 million mobile subscribers.

 It said that National Information Technology Development Agency (NITDA) has recorded successes in the development of the Nigeria Data Protection Regulation (NDPR), the country’s first codified data protection regulation. Noting that Galaxy Backbone Limited (GBB) provides Infrastructure-as-a-Service, Platform-as-a-Service and Software-as-a-Service to government agencies, Suleiman said it became necessary for NIMC, NCC, NITDA and GBB “to work closely together under the supervision of one Ministry”.

The ministry stressed that National Identity Number (NIN) is important for economic planning and social intervention. Suleiman urged all Nigerians to enroll as soon as possible. “With Federal Government’s digitalization initiatives in line with the National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy, access to services and interventions will require it,” he added. 

NIMC manages and operates the National Identity Database. The agency has registered over 40 million eligible enrollees for NIN.