Delta State Governor, Senator Dr Ifeanyi Okowa, has urged Nigerians to register with the National Identify Card Management Commission (NIMC) because of its numerous benefits.

Speaking when the Director General cum Chief Executive Office of NIMC, Engr Aliu Aziz-led top management of the Commission to pay him a courtesy visit in Asaba on Monday, Governor Okowa disclosed that effective capturing of Nigerians by the NIMC would ensure ease in doing a lot of things in the country.

According to him, “National identification number is important in capturing who we are; it is needed in so many things, even as we progress in the national health insurance scheme, national population commission, in the fight against crime and several other areas that will encourage the growth of the country.”

“I hope we will be able to provide the needed resources for the NIMC to capture as many Nigerians as possible, because, with the data collected so far, it will take a lot of years for the Commission to capture all Nigerians,” he said at the occasion which was attended by the Deputy Governor of Delta State, Barr. Kingsley Otuaro, and top government functionaries.

While calling for aggressive awareness campaign by the Commission and government to ensure that more Nigerians are captured, Governor Okowa stated that Nigerians should be made to know the gains inherent in having a national identity number to citizens.

He commended Engr. Aziz for carrying out advocacy visits for governments, individuals and corporate organisations to key into their activities, assuring that his administration would support the registration process to enable more Deltans to be enrolled.

Earlier, Engr. Aziz had said that they were in the state to seek government support for more Deltans to be captured in the programme, disclosing that 22.2 million Nigerians out of which 589,000 are Deltans have been captured.

He stated that there are only 27 active enrolment centres in Delta State “which is not enough for effective coverage,” and called for the assistance of the Delta State government for the creation of more centres for the enrolment of Deltans, especially those in the riverine communities.

Update news