New NIMC guidelines may further extend delay in NIN modification

Nigerians seeking to modify their date of  birth on the National Identification Number (NIN) database have expressed concern that the new guideline announced by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) would further extend the delay in getting the modification done at NIMC.

The NIMC in its new guidelines stated that Nigerians applying to change their date of birth on the National Identification Number (NIN) database will now be required to provide an electronic civil registration and vital statistics system (e-CRVS) certificate from the National Population Commission (NPC).

In addition to the certificate, NIMC said copies of other valid documents such as identification and application letter for modification will now be addressed to the DG/CEO, NIMC.

Before now, only an affidavit and the payment of N15,000 are required for the modification of age and other modifications on the NIN system.

According to the Commission, with the new guidelines, date of birth modification can only be done once in a lifetime and only at NIMC enrolment centres.

It warned that its licensed agents are not allowed to do date of birth modification and other forms of modification.

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Meanwhile, while some Nigerians see the new guidelines as another obstacle  for having smooth progress, they added that the earlier process is fraught with allegations of extortions and intentional delays at the NIMC centres.

However, the new Director-General, Engineer Abisoye Coker-Odusote, said she was working to end all forms of unethical practices within the Commission. She also recently announced that the Commission has cleared over 2.5 million backlog of modifications to NIN.

President Bola Tinubu last month launched the e-CRVS of the NPC, a platform that digitalizes all civil documentation such as birth and stillbirth registration, birth attestation, adoption, marriage notification, divorce notification, migration, and death.

According to the Chairman of the NPC, Nasir Kwarra the e-CRVS was part of Nigeria’s way of complying with the resolutions of the African Ministers Conference held in 2022 and scaling up the automated process in Nigeria.

He added that the system provides a digital certificate in all cases, an accessible verification platform to registered organizations, and has a central management system (dashboard) that depicts and analyses collated civil registrations into vital statistics for proper decision-making.”

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The chairman said that the process marked a complete departure from traditional paper-based recording of vital events to a state-of-the-art digital solution that conforms to international best practices.

He added that the eCRVS system would revolutionize how vital events were recorded, tracked, and analyzed in the country.