NIMC enrols over 160,000 minors, wants parents, guardians to register wards

THE National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), says it has enrolled over 160,000 minors of15 years and below since the application for enrolment of minors was deployed in 2017.

The Managing Director of NIMC, Mr Aliyu Aziz, disclosed this in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN), on Wednesday in Abuja.

The managing director urged parents and guardians to register their wards in the ongoing exercise.

Aziz said the commission begun the enrolment nationwide and also deployed an application for the enrolment of minors in 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.

“This is another phase of the National Identity Management System (NIMS), which will enable every citizen, including children from ages zero to 15, to be enrolled and issued the National Identification Number (NIN).

“Before now, the commission only issued the NIN to citizens and legal residents aged 16 years and above.

“It is mandatory for parents and guardians of minors to have enrolled for their NIN.

“This is because the system essentially links the NIN of minors to that of their parents or guardian until the minor attains the 16 years mark.

“Upon attaining the age of 16, he/she will be required to visit any of the NIMC enrolment centres nationwide to update his/her registration.

“It is at this stage that the National e-ID Card will be processed and subsequently issued to such individual,” he added.

Aziz said that the policy would ensure that NIN of the minor was linked with that of his/her parents or guardian until their biometric features become fully developed.

He, however, said that it would help to retain the comprehensive family database and at the same time, make it easy for the government to trace every citizen to a family unit.

The NIMC boss said the enrollment process consists of a recording of an individual’s demographic data and capture of the 10 fingerprints and head-to shoulder facial picture.

According to him, the demographic information would be used to cross check existing data in the national identity database to confirm that there was no previous entry of the same data or double enrollment before the NIN is issued.

He added that the enrolment of minors could be done at any of the NIMC enrolment offices nationwide and it is free.