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NIMC Set to Register All Nigerians by 2025

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NIMC National ID Card

By Adedapo Adesanya

Following a recent loan extended by the World Bank, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has set a target of capturing the entire Nigerian population on its database by 2025.

Last week, Business Post reported that the global lender had earmarked $340 million out of $2.2 billion meant for six projects in Nigeria for digital identification development project. This will allow the NIMC, the agency responsible for this, to increase the number of Nigerians with national identification number (NIN) to reach about 150 million.

The Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of NIMC, Mr Aliyu Aziz, said in an interview with The Cable that, “Our target is to capture the entire population within 3-5 years and have a credible, reliable and easily accessible identity database.

“By providing a universal, secure and nationally accepted means of identification, our people are empowered to exercise their basic rights, affirm their identity in an orderly manner, access services, claim their entitlements and benefit from social welfare programmes among many others.

“This system of identification will greatly help the work of our security and law enforcement agencies.”

“The federal government is looking beyond identity harmonization to data harmonization in the long run.

“The building blocks of achieving this is by uniquely identifying every individual so that he/she is consistently seen as one person by government irrespective of the agency visited or service demanded. One person, one identity for life,” he added.

The Federal Government has constantly stated its need to boost digital identity in Nigeria by providing a unique identifier to every individual living in Nigeria and even to people of descent in the diaspora.

With the implementation of the World Bank Identity 4 Development project in Nigeria, this signifies the commencement of the implementation journey.

The credit facility from the Bank will be jointly financed through an International Development Association (IDA) credit of $115 million; $100 million from the French Agency for Development and $215 million from the European Investment Bank.

A successful digital imprint will enable people in Nigeria, especially marginalised groups, to access welfare-enhancing services and enhance the ID system’s legal and technical safeguards to protect personal data and privacy.

As of November 2019, the NIMC said 38 million Nigerians had been issued NIN, a requirement for getting land registry documents, drivers’ licence and the Nigerian passport.

Adedapo Adesanya is a journalist, polymath, and connoisseur of everything art. When he is not writing, he has his nose buried in one of the many books or articles he has bookmarked or simply listening to good music with a bottle of beer or wine. He supports the greatest club in the world, Manchester United F.C.

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Badeggi FM Radio: SERAP, Guild of Editors Sue Governor Bago

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By Adedapo Adesanya

The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) and the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) have filed a suit against the Niger State Governor, Mr Umar Bago, over the alleged threat to shut down a private radio station in the state, Badeggi FM Radio.

In the suit, marked FHC/L/CS/1587/2025, and filed on Friday, August 8, 2025, at the Federal High Court, Lagos, SERAP and NGE sought an order of perpetual injunction restraining the governor and NBC from further harassing, intimidating, and/or threatening to shut down Badeggi FM radio, revoke its licence, and profile the station’s owner.

“Unless the reliefs sought are granted, the governor will continue to threaten, intimidate, and harass the radio station and its owner and may weaponise the NBC against the station,” the groups said.

They asked the court to determine “whether by Section 22 of the Nigerian Constitution 1999 [as amended] and Section 2(1)(t) of the NBC Act, the NBC has the legal duty to protect Badeggi FM from the ongoing intimidation from the governor.”

The plaintiffs also appealed to the court to declare “that by the combined provisions of Section 22 of the Constitution and Section 2(1)(t) of the NBC Act, the NBC has the legal duty to protect Badeggi FM station and other broadcasting outlets in Nigeria from any threat, intimidation and harassment”.

In the suit, SERAP and NGE argued that “the failure and/or neglect of the NBC to protect and defend the independence of Badeggi FM radio against arbitrary executive interference and ongoing intimidation constitutes a breach of its statutory duty to ensure fair, independent, and lawful broadcasting practices in Nigeria.”

They noted that “the ongoing intimidation, and threat by Mr Bago to strip Badeggi FM station of its licence, further threat to demolish the station’s premises and profile its owner is unlawful and a violation of the rights to freedom of expression, access to information, and media freedom”.

According to them, “the allegations of inciting violence against Badeggi FM and its owner are vague, unfounded and unsubstantiated and apparently made to silence the radio station”.

Recall that last week, SERAP and NGE asked the governor to reverse his directive of an immediate revocation of the operational licence of Badeggi Radio station. He accused the privately owned station of consistently inciting the public against the state government through its broadcasts.

Governor Bago issued the order during an expanded All Progressives Congress (APC) Caucus meeting held at the Hauwa Wali Multipurpose Hall in Government House, Minna.

According to him, such conduct was not only unprofessional but a deliberate attempt to destabilise the current administration’s efforts under the New Niger Development Agenda.

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NNPC Suspends Ikorodu Station Manager Over Pump Attendant’s Misconduct

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By Modupe Gbadeyanka

The manager of one of the retail stations of the Nigerian National Petroleum Company (NNPC) Limited in the Ikorodu area of Lagos State has been suspended.

The action followed the alleged misconduct of one of the pump attendants of the affected filling station, a statement from the organisation said.

In the statement signed by the management of NNPC in Abuja on Friday, it was disclosed that the pump attendant accused of attempting to “swindle a customer” has been sacked and is longer working with the company.

The state-owned oil firm took these actions after its attention was “drawn to a recent video circulating on social media platforms depicting a pump attendant at a filling station attempting to swindle a customer.”

It was explained that after receiving the video, “a thorough investigation” was carried out and the incident was “traced to a station in Ikorodu, Lagos.”

NNPC Retail Limited, which is in charge of the downstream business of NNPC Limited, described the behaviour of the said pump attendant as “unacceptable,” emphasising that it “does not reflect the company’s commitment to integrity, transparency, and exceptional customer service.”

Apparently to deter others from emulating such, NNPC Retail Limited said, “The pump attendant involved has been disengaged, the Station Manager has been suspended, and a formal warning letter has been issued to the dealer” in charge of the facility.

“NNPC Retail would like to thank the public for their vigilance and encourage the reporting of any incidents through the appropriate channels (customer service numbers and email displayed at all stations) for immediate action.

“The company assures all customers of its continued strict enforcement of compliance with its operational standards across its network of filling stations,” the statement noted.

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ValueJet Blockage: K1 De Ultimate Begs Nigerians, Authorities for Forgiveness

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By Modupe Gbadeyanka

Fuji maestro, Mr Wasiu Ayinde, fondly known as K1 De Ultimate, has apologised over the unfortunate incident involving him blocking a ValueJet aircraft taxing at the local wing of the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, Abuja, on August 5, 2025.

The musician was seen in videos on the internet attempting to prevent the plane from taxing, an action described by the Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development as “reprehensible.”

He said if the pilot and the co-pilot were punished by the Nigeria Civil Aviation Authority (NCAA) by revoking their licences; Mr Ayinde should also be sanctioned, directing he should be put on no fly list.

Earlier, the spokesman of the music act, Mr Kunle Rasheed, said Mr Ayinde was the victim of the incident, absolving him of any wrong-doing.

K1 De Ultimate was not allowed to be on the aircraft carrying passengers from Abuja to Lagos because he refused to give up his flask alleged to contain alcohol.

In a statement on Friday, the musician claimed the content in the flask was water, which he was advised by his doctor to take regularly because of a health issue.

“Unknown to many, I suffer from chronic dehydration, and my doctor strongly advised that I remain constantly hydrated. This is why I always carry a water flask with me. And contrary to the negative narrative being circulated in some quarters, the flask I carried on that particular day contained only water — not alcohol, as wrongly alleged.

“For the record, I passed through two security screenings with the flask empty. The flask was only filled with water at the lounge area, just before heading to the tarmac. This fact can be verified by the CCTV footage at the airport lounge. More so, I hadn’t even boarded the plane, let alone being deboarded.

“However, I acknowledge and deeply regret the concerns that arose from the incident. It was never my intention to cause any disruption or violate aviation protocols in any way.

“My unwavering patriotism and unshaken loyalty to the Federal Republic of Nigeria have never been in doubt. Over the years, I have consistently used my God-given talent and platform to promote the Nigerian brand across the globe. I would never do anything to tarnish the image I’ve built over the past five decades, nor would I knowingly act in a way that could diminish the reputation of the country I love so dearly.

“That said, the incident is sincerely regretted. I remain committed to upholding the values and responsibilities that come with being a global ambassador of Nigerian music and culture.

“To the Presidency, Ministry of Aviation, FAAN, NCAA, ValueJet, fellow Nigerians, and my teeming fans across the world who have shown great concern since the incident happened, I tender my unreserved and heartfelt apology,” he said in the statement.

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