Digital ID providers form association to improve verification services in Nigeria

Some Nigerian companies operating in the digital ID domain, including prominent market players VerifyMe Nigeria and Youverify, have put in place a structure dubbed Association of Data Verification Service Providers (ADVSP), with the primary goal of coordinating the activities of data verification service providers in the country, reports This Day.

According to the report, the new body, which has been licensed by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), will focus its energy towards building and supporting companies that make up Nigeria’s data and digital identity verification ecosystem, and will act as an interface with the government on those issues.

Some of its objectives, the outlet mentions, are to enable healthy business competition atmosphere among players in the data and digital ID verification sector, encourage innovation and high standards among the companies, as well as undertake activities intended to deepen the knowledge of stakeholders in the data and digital ID verification services sector.

Olutunji Olowole, chairman of ADVSP, and founder and board executive chairman at VerifyMe Nigeria, said the new body will help set a new framework for standardized service delivery using digital ID. “As an industry, we are optimistic that the Association will serve as a platform for engagement both within and across the ecosystem aimed at building a virile digital identity infrastructure for the country, supporting innovation within the space and facilitating collaboration between stakeholders whether in regulatory, operator or related professional roles.”

Also speaking about the initiative, Gbenga Odegbami, co-founder and CEO of Youverify, and trustee of the ADVSP, said he is hopeful they have taken the right step in the right direction as data verification is on a steady growth trajectory in Nigeria. “There is a need to establish viable frameworks founded on compliance, effective communication, and excellent service delivery as an intentional effort toward development. ADVSP would fast-track the digitization of the Nigerian economy, creating a robust infrastructure that’d serve all stakeholders within the sector.”

Digital addressing to be required for driver’s license issuance

The Nigerian Postal Services (NIPOST) is looking forward to partnering with the Federal Road Service Corps (FRSC) to make digital verification of home addresses a requirement for the issuance of driver’s licenses and other services, reports ICIR Nigeria.

This development emerged following recent talks between the Postmaster General of the Federation and CEO of NIPOST, Ismail Adewusi, and the FRSC boss, Boboye Oyeyemi.

The report suggests the move is to tackle some of the problems of wrong addressing which often result in service tracking failures.

It is hope that the digital addressing initiative will give more credibility to government-issued IDs such as the passport, the NIN, the driver’s license, voter’s card, and vehicle registration number, just to cite a few.

Solace Base, in its own report, quotes the NIPOST CEO as saying: “Many people put wrong or untraceable addresses when those are requested for services. The platform would address such practices by digitizing addresses and ensuring information provided are genuine.

It also cites the FRSC boss as mentioning that “the Corps would very soon begin to demand for National Identity Number (NIN) for vehicle registration and driver’s licenses.”

NIPOST is also leading an initiative, through a biometrics registration drive, to set up a banking system for agencies aimed at enhancing financial inclusion in Nigeria.

Article Topics

address verification  |  Africa  |  digital economy  |  digital ID  |  digital identity  |  identity verification  |  Nigeria  |  standards  |  VerifyMe Nigeria  |  Youverify