The Federal Government’s failure to harmonise disparate identity databases is opening up fresh business opportunities, as local technology companies are taking advantage of the gap to provide verification services to individuals and corporate organisations, BusinessDay has gathered.
Various Ministries, Departments and Agencies (MDAs) of government such as the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC), National Population Commission (NPC), National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS) and the Federal Road Safety Commission (FRSC), amongst others, are saddled with the responsibility of creating different national identity database systems in the course of achieving their statutory objectives.
Nigeria’s former president, Goodluck Jonathan, had during his administration, directed all MDAs engaging in biometric registrations or data capturing activities to align their activities, with a view to switching over to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) infrastructure by December 31, 2014.
Some agencies of government have complied with the presidential directive but NIMC appears unwilling to release information on the status of the database harmonisation process.
BusinessDay however gathered that some of these independent technology companies are plugging into a huge number of identity databases. Chams Plc, a local identity management firm, has deployed a unified platform which aggregates data from certified institutional sources, from which accredited public and private institutions and businesses can verify data, and also verify identity.
The application is a secure and robust platform for accurate online real-time verification of identity, credit status, academic qualifications and credentials, which saves time and money.
“The backend of the platform is powered by robust and reliable data sources because data quality is the single most important factor for the success of a compliant and risk mitigating identity verification solution, which will meet market needs”, said Olufemi Williams, group managing director, Chams Plc.
Institutional supporters of the new service include the Nigeria Interbank Settlement Systems (NIBSS), Joint Admission and Matriculation Board (JAMB), public and private universities, and the Credit Registry, Nigeria’s leading credit bureau institution. Industry observers are however concerned about the country’s inability to achieve a uniform national identity database.
They say the harmonisation of databases forms the bedrock of the country’s plans to accelerate socio-economic development and remain globally competitive. The Federal Government spends enormous resources managing multiple discordant databases.
Billions of dollars have been wasted in printing national identity cards, registering voters, especially during elections, conducting population census and many other resource-depleting initiatives.
In the telecoms industry, the NCC in 2011, had budgeted N6.1 billion to conduct biometric registration on telephone users’ subscriber identification module (SIM) cards in the six geopolitical zones, Lagos inclusive.
Mobile operators who were also mandated by the NCC to start registering all phone users on their networks were taken aback when the regulator awarded contracts to the seven firms to duplicate the same task.
Chris Onyemenam, director-general, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), in a report, assured that the commission was working toward the harmonisation and integration of databases, in partnership with MDAs.
According to the report, the commission would go into partnership with the NHIS by August. “The Commission is also working tirelessly to ensure that proliferation of data, fraudulent activities and cases of insecurity among others, are addressed within the shortest possible time,’’ Onyemenam said.
In view of the current revenue crisis putting a huge strain on the citizenry and their businesses, the Buhari-led administration needs to effectively utilise scarce financial resources.
“What Nigeria really needs is a single database that will capture the data of every Nigerian, such that information about individuals and organisations could be sourced from a single database”, said Raphael Omosola, national president of Nigeria Information Technology Professionals in the Civil Service (NITPCS).
Omosola explained that with a single database, the issue of data duplication would be eradicated, thereby saving cost for government and organisations.
“A single database will address the issue of double identity created by individuals who want to disguise themselves for criminal reasons”. This is critical, considering the unabated waves of terror attacks by insurgents in the north. Technology experts have observed that a unique database from where different public and private organisations can assess and pull information, will help tackle the issue of insecurity.
Established by Act No. 23 of 2007, the goal of the NIMC is to foster the orderly development of an identity sector in Nigeria, through the development of a modern and universally acceptable identity management infrastructure.
As contained in the National Policy and NIMC Act, Sections 1, 2, 5 and 6, the primary legal, regulatory and institutional mechanism for implementing government’s reform initiative in the identity sector rests squarely with NIMC.
Ben Uzor
