June 28, (THEWILL) – The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says 57.3 million Nigerians have been registered, just about one-quarter of the projected 200 million population in the country.
Director-General of the Commission, Aliyu Aziz, disclosed this on Monday, at a workshop to co-create a Roadmap for a digital registration system as part of the Civil Registration and Vital Statistics System (CRVS) in Nigeria.
Aziz said that a strong national identity system was vital to building a viable economy and nation.
He called for intensive birth registrations by all in the country aimed at providing legal identity for all by 2030 in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG).
“Birth registration will engender financial inclusion and improvement of welfare. Foundational identity is very important for National Planning,” he said.
The NIMC boss, who reiterated the imperatives of birth registrations, affirmed the determination of the commission to collaborate with the National Population Commission (NPC) in the actualisation of the legal identification agenda.
Dr. Yemi Kale, the Statistician-General, National Bureau of Statistics (NBS), lauded National Population Commission (NPC) for its effort in transiting the country from manual to digital birth registrations.
Kale, represented by Abolade Sunarjudeen, said that a partnership with the population commission was key to reliable population data.
The Statistician General, however, called for increased awareness and sensitisation on the importance of birth registration in the country.
On his part, the Inspector General of Police, Usman Baba, described Civil Registrations and Vital Statistics (CRVS) as a roadmap to the developmental plan initiative.
Baba, represented by ACP Usman Mogaji, said that the exercise was in accordance with Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 17 for the statistical building of countries.
He decried the citizens’ nonchalance to issues of birth registrations, said it was capable of impeding national development.
He, however, assured of the Nigerian Police’s commitment to the fight against crime using available data from birth registration.
“In the wake of banditry, kidnapping and terrorism, Nigerian police welcome the initiative with the assurance of being active partners in fighting crime and accessing data.”
Muhammed Babandede, the Comptroller General of Immigration Service (NIS), described CRVS as a critical component in the acquisition of passports.
Babandede, represented by Mrs Bimbola Ojo, Asst. Comptroller of Immigration, who commended National Population Commission for such a giant leap, pledged the support of the NIS.
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