The Federal Government has declared September 16 as National Identity Day and has supported the enrolment of Nigerians for Digital Identity, ID across the country.
Isa Ali Pantami, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, who disclosed this in a statement signed by Uwa Suleiman, his spokesperson on Tuesday, in Abuja reminded Nigerians of the importance of digital identity, adding that the ministry was developing the right policy environment to support enrolment for digital IDs in the country.
He said that the celebration of the National Identity Day would take place virtually, adding that the importance of a digital identity programme for the successful development of a digital economy cannot be overstated.
“This year’s edition of the National Identity Day will take place virtually on the same date and will have the theme: Identity for Health, Sustainable Development and Growth.
“We will start by capturing Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) in Nigeria and will also support the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and other stakeholders to ensure that we make the process of obtaining digital identities swift and secure.
“One of the key objectives of pillar 6 (Soft Infrastructure) of National Digital Economy Policy and Strategy (NDEPS) is support for the accelerated implementation of a Digital Identity Programme,” he said.
He explained that digital identification can be an important catalyst for various development initiatives in the continent such as impacting on trade, governance, social protection, financial inclusion, domestic resource mobilisation, as well as security and human rights.
Pantami urged Nigerians to visit NIMC accredited centres for their digital identities as it would help the development of digital economy
