The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) yesterday registered President Muhammadu Buhari for his national identity card.
This is even as the Director General of NIMC, Mr. Chris Onyemenam, stated close to seven million Nigerians have so far been registered, adding that the number would quadruple with the presidential directive of the harmonization of biometric data to all data-collecting agencies in the country.
Buhari, who was registered inside the Presidential Villa in Abuja, spoke briefly with State House correspondents after his registration. He described the exercise as very important, saying it would help the nation to know its exact population and those who were eligible to vote and urged those yet to register to do so.
He said: “I think this exercise is very important to confirm our population and those who are entitled to vote, that is, those who are 18 years and above. It will complement the exercise of the permanent voters card.
“So, for those who want their votes to count from whichever party or constituency, they should ensure that they and their families are properly captured.”
He was later presented with his temporary identity card.
Onyemenam also told newsmen that the exercise had no terminal date, as it was ongoing at all NIMC’s enrolment centres nationwide.
He stated more centres were being opened at local government areas, universities, hospitals and even primary schools, to bring them closer to the people.
The NIMC boss said: “This exercise is not a one off thing in the sense that there is no time limit. It is a continuous exercise. So, every enrolment centre that we have established remain open forever, they are like branches of banks.
“We are taking deliberate steps to ensure that enrolment centres are opened in each local government. In collaboration with MDAs, we are now extending it to universities. It will also be extended to primary schools and hospitals.”
As stated byOnyemenam, the NIMC was also collaborating with the Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigerian Population Commission (NPC) in line with the presidential directive on harmonization of data collection in the country.