Make Use Of National Database To Track Criminals — Minister Tells Security Agencies

Following the deteriorating security system, the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami has pleaded with security agencies to make use of the databases of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and that of the Subscribers Identification Module (SIM) to track criminals.

The Minister was speaking at the 4th National Identity Day celebration in Abuja on Friday with the theme ‘Traditional Institutions as Critical Stakeholders for Citizens Mobilisation”

Pantami said from available information, security institutions are not making significant use of the two databases.

“From the information available at my disposal, from the CEOs of these two institutions, the utilisation has been highly insignificant. It is because of this we are pleading that if they can leverage on this, we have no doubt they will be able to address the significant challenges of security we are been confronted with.

According to him “We have sanitised our database and we are pleading with our security institutions to make use of this database; it not our work to do the security work to do security work, our work is to support them. The two databases are available for NIN and for SIM.”

He added that “If we have a complete database in Nigeria with all the challenges we have when it comes to education, health security and many more will be resolved. We also have a national population commission that works hand in hand with NIMC.”

“In most of the developed countries you know, or you have been hearing about. You cannot go there and live or work without a social security number. So why is it difficult for us in Nigeria? We always admire when we visit places but it is difficult for us to make adjustments so that we can be that responsible society that we admire from far. We cannot be there until we make sacrifices.” He emphasised

In his address, the Director General of NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, said, NIMC is partnering with the traditional rulers and traditional institutions across the nation to raise awareness on the need for NIN registration and usage, hence the theme titled “Traditional Institutions – Critical Stakeholders for Citizens’ Mobilisation,”

“We want to use this opportunity and platform to appeal for the active participation of the traditional institutions in drumming up support for Government programmes and in this case the National Identification project.

Identification is a tool for empowerment and greater use of digital ID can help bring the much-needed governance and coordination in development and service delivery”, he noted.

Furthermore, he said “the more government knows the accurate number of its population and the right demographics, the better the government is placed to plan well for infrastructure, social welfare, and economic development for the country.

“This, therefore, underscores the importance of identity and direct links to the importance of today’s commemoration of the Nigerian National Identity Day.