By Adedapo Adesanya
Following plans to digitalise the identification of Nigerians, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has said the mobile application designed for this purpose is not yet approved for public consumption.
The mobile application which was rolled out recently allows citizens to log in with their national identification number (NIN) and registered phone number. After a successful login, the application is expected to display the full details of the citizen, including a photograph and other details.
However, Nigerians who gave it a trial said the wrong identities were displayed and faulted the capabilities of the app in serving its purpose.
In a statement on Monday, the Head, Corporate Commission, NIMC, Mr Kayode Adegoke clarifying the situation said the app has been not approved for public use and that it was still in its testing phase.
“Our attention has been drawn to several complaints about the NIMC mobile App. We will like Nigerians to be aware that the app is a novel innovation by the commission, but it is yet to be officially approved for public consumption,” the statement read.
“The app is still in the test environment and currently being fine-tuned to give users the best experience with adequate privacy and data security safeguards. Once the test stage is concluded, the commission will issue a formal statement regarding its usage by our esteemed NIN registered persons.
“In the same vein, we want to assure Nigerians of the security of their data. Our systems are configured to ensure the utmost protection of the data.
“Members of the general public are hereby strongly advised to disregard commentaries and information from unauthorised sources about the app and other activities of the commission. The official communication platforms of the commission are the only authorised sources of information pertaining to all its activities – press releases; media parley; website and official social media handles,” the statement further said.
Last week, Business Post reported that the Minister of Interior, Mr Rauf Aregbesola, said the country was juxtaposing the traditional national identity cards and replacing it with a digital alternative, in line with keeping up with technological advancements in the world.
