The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in partnership with one of its licensees, National eAuthentication Limited, on Friday commenced the issuance of National Identification Numbers to Nigerians living in the United Kingdom.

The event, which took place at OIS office, Fleet Street, London, was flagged off by the Nigerian High Commissioner to the United Kingdom, Ambassador George Oguntade.

The High Commissioner, who was the first enrollee, expressed delight that the Nigerian Digital Identity ecosystem is all inclusive and catering for the Interest of Nigerians living outside Nigeria.

Oguntade commended the NIMC for carrying out the mandate given by President Muhammadu Buhari with dispatch and dexterity.

He enjoined Nigerians in the Diaspora to avail themselves of the opportunity.

Speaking earlier, the Director General and CEO of NIMC, Engr. Aliyu Aziz, said the unique national identifier, popularly known as the National Identification Number, will solve the identity challenges that the nation and indeed Nigerians are facing both at home and in the Diaspora.

According to Aziz, the Federal Government embarked on a reform agenda centered on institutionalising an identity management system for the country and provide a nationally accepted, easily verifiable identity number that citizens, residents and agencies can use to irrefutably affirm identities.

The Director General emphasised that the main thrust of the reform agenda is to create a sustainable system that transforms the way identity is collected, authenticated and asserted using modern biometric system.

Also speaking, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Diaspora Matters, Hon. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, said with this new identity system, Nigerians in the Diaspora can now start looking towards being able to vote after necessary laws must have been amended.

Dabiri-Erewa charged them to take advantage of the opportunity and cooperate with the National Identity Management Commission to deliver on this history making mandate.

Update news