Nigeria ID4D to facilitate digital ID issuance for people living with disabilities

The Nigeria Digital Identification for Development (Nigeria ID4D) project has pledged to create the enabling environment for more people living with disabilities in Nigeria to have their biometrics captured for the issuance of the National Identification Number, writes daily Vanguard.

Nigeria ID4D is a project, co-funded by the World Bank, the European Investment Bank and the French development Agency, with the view to creating a vast foundational digital ID ecosystem in the country. The goal is to issue 148 million NINs by 2024.

Speaking during a recent visit to the headquarters of the National Commission for People with Disabilities (NCPWD), the Nigeria ID4D project coordinator Musa Solomon said their objective is to work towards making Nigeria’s digital ID space more inclusive.

“The project had since identified the NCPWD as an important ecosystem partner, hence this visit. The Nigeria Digital ID4D is interested in promoting inclusion of marginalized groups because of the realization that historically, ID systems often lead to exclusion due to logistics and social stigma which may hinder participation of women and persons with disability,” said Musa as quoted by Vanguard.

He said as part of their plan, they are looking forward to putting in place a mechanism that will lead consultations with stakeholders of marginalized sociological groups so as to get their views on how to successfully bring them into the fray.

“The aim of the project is to strengthen the foundational ID system, and in the process, improve national data protection, bolster Nigeria’s digital economy and close the inclusion gaps in access to identification and related key services, while fostering inclusion for marginalized groups, such as persons living with disability, the rural poor, among others,” the outlet quotes Musa as emphasizing.

James David Lalu, NCPWD executive secretary, in response, praised Nigeria ID4D for its efforts in fighting exclusion within the digital ID landscape in Nigeria, and pointed out that one of the biggest problems faced by people living with disabilities is getting themselves identified and verified whenever they seek public services.

“One of the major problems we have with accessing services is identification. Again, we have started having persons with fake disabilities in Nigeria. Collaborating with Nigeria Digital ID4D will help to solve our problems, particularly, in the area of identification and verification. We are very open to partner with you,” said Lalu, according to Vanguard.

In 2020, a Nigerian project won the World Bank-sponsored Mission Billion Challenge contest. The project dubbed ‘Identification for Inclusion’ highlighted the problems hindering persons with intellectual disabilities from getting a digital identity in Nigeria, and also proposed what can be done to remedy the situation.

Article Topics

Africa  |  biometrics  |  digital economy  |  digital ID  |  Identification for Development (ID4D)  |  identity document  |  national ID  |  Nigeria  |  Nigeria ID4D