The Nigerian federal government has decided to transfer the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) from the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy to the Ministry of Interior. This move aims to address persistent issues associated with obtaining National Identity Numbers (NIN), which are required for passport applications and other travel documents.
The NIMC was previously under the supervision of the Ministry of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy. During the previous administration, NIMC collaborated with the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) to link NIN with Subscriber Identity Modules (SIM) to combat crimes like kidnapping, banditry, and terrorism. Over 100 million Nigerians linked their NIN with SIM within three years.
The decision to move NIMC aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s directive to eliminate obstacles and streamline the process of obtaining NIN and passports.
A source familiar with NIMC’s operations stated that the Ministry of Interior is the traditional home of NIMC. The source noted that bureaucratic issues, such as the awarding of contracts, delayed addressing NIN-related problems despite technological solutions being available.
An official from the Ministry of Interior confirmed the relocation of NIMC and stated that several innovations, including a mobile application, would be launched to tackle NIN-related challenges.
The Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) also revealed that additional personnel are being deployed to its frontline desks across the country to meet the two-week deadline set by the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to clear a backlog of over 200,000 passport applications. More than 55,000 applications have already been cleared within five days of the ultimatum.
The NIS emphasized that its personnel have been working diligently, including on weekends, to meet the clearance deadline, and all facilities and equipment are in optimal working condition.
