The Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development and the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, have reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening collaboration on digital identity inclusion for women, children and vulnerable groups across Nigeria.
The commitment was made during a courtesy visit by the NIMC Director General and Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Dr. Abisoye Coker Odusote, and her team to the Minister of Women Affairs and Social Development, Hajiya Imaan Sulaiman Ibrahim, in Abuja.
The Minister described the new identity management framework as a landmark reform that supports President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, stressing that a reliable national identity system was essential for effective social protection, financial inclusion, digital commerce and the delivery of government interventions to the right beneficiaries.
She noted that women constitute a significant proportion of Nigeria’s small and medium enterprises and increasingly depend on digital platforms for business transactions. According to her, effective identity management would protect women in the digital economy and improve their access to formal financing, government programmes and other economic opportunities.
On the Federal Government’s Universal Child Grant initiative, the Minister said a robust identity system would promote transparency, prevent abuse and ensure that eligible children benefit from the programme.
She also highlighted the expansion of the Nigeria for Women Project Scale Up, which supports women led self help groups through savings, financial inclusion and economic empowerment.
“Every woman deserves an identity that opens doors to opportunities, financial services and social protection. Our vision is to ensure that no woman or child is left behind,” she said.
The Minister further commended NIMC’s plan to establish a single identity number for individuals throughout their lifetime, saying the system would improve healthcare, education, social welfare and access to public services.
She also called for stronger collaboration between both institutions in tackling gender based violence through improved identity verification, data management and criminal tracking mechanisms.
Earlier, the NIMC Director General, Abisoye Coker Odusote, said the Commission had evolved beyond managing Nigeria’s identity database to becoming the country’s foundational identity authority and a key pillar of its Digital Public Infrastructure.
She said the Commission was implementing the One Identity for All initiative to eliminate repetitive data collection and enable Nigerians to access government services through a single trusted identity.
Coker Odusote disclosed that NIMC had introduced digital credentials, electronic signatures, digital certificates and free electronic identity cards through its enhanced digital identity application.
She added that ward level enrolment had commenced nationwide to reach underserved communities and expand inclusive identity registration.
“Our ambition is to ensure that every Nigerian woman is captured in the national identity database before the end of the year. Achieving this requires strong collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Women Affairs and Social Development,” she said.
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