NIMC moves to integrate BVN data

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has concluded plans to integrate the Bank Verification Number (BVN) in the national identity database.

The Director-General of NIMC, Mr Chris Onyemenam, made the disclosure in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Friday in Abuja.

Onyenam, whose tenure expires today, said that the planned integration was borne out of the need to obey a presidential directive to harmonise various databases in the country.

He said that a hamonisation committee had already been set up to facilitate the integration process.

“NIMC is about to commence integration of BVN database to its own.

“This is in line with the presidential directive that various databases in the country should harmonised so that the country can operate a single database.

“This will make it more convenient to manage and update our data on a regular basis,’’ Onyenam said.

He said that NIMC had also commenced the process of integrating data of other relevant government agencies.

“We have also initiated moves to integrate agencies like the Federal Road Safety Corps, National Communication Commission, National Pension Commission and the Nigerian Police,’’ Onyenam said.

He said that NIMC would obtain the BVN data from the banks and process them through the NIMC system to eradicate duplication before issuing the National Identification Number (NIN) to the successful enrollees.

He assured Nigerians that the system would greatly enhance the work of security agencies and also provide government with the needed infrastructure for planning.

Similarly, Mr Ade Sonubi, the Managing Director of Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System, a partner in the process expressed satisfaction at the planned data integration.

“It is good that the BVN is the first to integrate with NIMC, it means that we can enhance each other and we can start working with standards,’’ he said.