The National Identity Management Commission (NMIC) has called on Nigerians to report any form of extortion from any staff member of the commission, and especially Front End Partners (FEP).
NIMC said the new management frowned on any form of extortion, stressing that any errant staff member would be sanctioned.
For emphasis, the commission said it has reduced incidents of extortion and unofficial charges in the identity enrolment process by over 40 per cent.
The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed this in Lagos during the closing session of a two-day workshop with online newspaper publishers.
Represented by the Director, Information Technology and Identity Database, Lanre Yusuf, the DG said the reduction in illicit charges is a direct result of reforms introduced by the agency to curb racketeering and unauthorised payments, which have for years plagued the national identity registration process.
“Enrolment for the National Identification Number remains free.”
We have standardised modification and authentication fees, and these are publicly disclosed. Our enforcement of a transparent fee structure has resulted in a 40 per cent drop in extortion and unofficial charges,” she said.
Coker-Odusote explained that prior to her assumption of office, complaints about exploitative fees at enrolment centres were widespread, fuelling public distrust in the system.
According to her, the commission has since prioritised transparency and stakeholder accountability, ensuring that Nigerians no longer have to pay above the legally mandated fees.
“We are addressing deep-rooted issues that once undermined public confidence in the enrolment process,” she said.
The NIMC chief, who disclosed that the National Identification Number has risen to 122 million, marking a 49 per cent increase since January 2022, when enrolment stood at 72.7 million, added that the commission had introduced digital tools to reduce human interference in the registration process.
These, according to her, include the NINAuth mobile app, the Self-Service NIN Enrolment and Modification app, and Contactless Biometric Solutions, all designed to make the system more efficient, secure, and user-friendly.
Coker-Odusote also reiterated the commission’s commitment to inclusion, stressing that no Nigerian should be left behind in the country’s digital identity transformation.
To her, over 7,167 front-end enrolment agents and partners have been revalidated and retrained to serve the public professionally, with strict monitoring mechanisms now in place.