Tinubu pledges to deliver 8-point agenda through digital infrastructure 

President Bola Tinubu has assured Nigerians of his administration’s commitment to ensuring that his eight-point agenda impacts positively on the lives of Nigerians

To achieve this, the president said the government was building digital public  infrastructure, DPI to ascertain the basic needs of people across the country

He spoke on Monday in Abuja at an event, National Day of Identity celebration where he commended the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) for working hard to harmonize the country’s digital identity data

The president acknowledged that without DPI, his focus in the areas of food security, poverty alleviation, economic growth, job creation and access to capital, inclusivity, the rule of law, and the fight against corruption which forms the eight-point agenda would not be realized

Represented by the Secretary to Government of the Federation, SGF Sen. George Akume, the president underscored the importance of data identity protection urging the commission not to relent in its task of ensuring identity for all in the country and beyond

The minister for interior, Tunji Ojo emphasized that the building of strong DPI was to curtail identity theft of Nigerian citizens in the country and beyond.

He said the government is taking the issue of the proliferation of identity seriously hence the use of technology to tackle the menace

He noted that identity is the foundation for development as it enables the government to know the needs of the people, emphasizing the importance of data protection which can not be achieved without proper identity management

The minister identified identity fraud as the biggest fraud on earth which explains why the government is leveraging technology to address the challenge

READ ALSO: NIN enrolment hits 110m – NIMC DG

The Director General, NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, said that Nigeria is on the right path of harmonizing digital identity in the country.

She spoke on the title, Digital Public Infrastructure: Enabling Access To Services, noting that DPI facilitates seamless access to public and private services across different sectors such as financial, healthcare, and agriculture, amongst others.

Through collaboration with critical stakeholders, she stated that NIMC has enrolled over 110 million Nigerians.

“I must say we are on the right path and key strides have been made through collaboration and partnerships with government agencies and private sector players – linking of NINs and phone numbers with the telecommunication companies, NIN and Bank Verification Number (BVN) harmonization with financial institutions to facilitate digital payments, digital money, digital identity and digital processes, amongst others,” she said.

“Furthermore, the Student Loan Initiative showcases how DPI can eliminate financial barriers to education. By collaborating with 257 institutions, 332,715 students have been registered for loans, and over 18,000 students have already received payments through the initiative.”