Nigerian postal service receives biometric devices from Korea to support NIN enrollment

Enrollment for the National Identification Number (NIN) in Nigeria is set to get a boost, especially in difficult-to-reach areas, following the donation of 350 biometric devices to the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST).

NIPOST announced the handing over of the Android NIN enrolment devices, which are certified by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), recently by the Korea International Cooperation Agency (KOICA).

The donation is part of a KOICA project to support digital government in Nigeria, NIPOST said, adding that it comes “as a strategic contribution that will expand accessible NIN registration nationwide, especially in underserved communities.” The NIMC says it has already issued NINs to more than 121 million people, and there’s need for speed as a World Bank target has to be met by next year.

KOICA Nigeria office, in a post on its Facebook page, mentioned that the donation is aimed at increasing NIN enrollment ahead of the launch of a Government Service Portal (GPS), a digital government platform that will facilitate access to public services through NIN authentication.

“These devices will be crucial in helping Nigerians benefit from future government digital services,” KOICA said. Its country director, Eunsub Kim, stated that the devices are fully equipped with the necessary enrollment software, training, and deployment support.

The Agency had opened a tender for a contractor to supply the devices within KOICA’s Digital Governance Project (2022–2026) aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s digital government ecosystem. It is part of the Project for building foundations towards digital governance in Nigeria.

There is not public mention of which firm supplied the biometric enrollment devices.

The support by KOICA comes within the farework of bilateral collaboration between Nigeria and Korea, and will make NIPOST an important player in digital ID expansion in Nigeria.

Elsewhere in Ethiopia, the U.S., UK, Bahrain, and India postal services networks are increasingly playing major roles in facilitating access to digital identity services and financial inclusion.

Meanwhile, KOICA also has a reputation of supporting digital initiatives in other parts of the continent. Examples are its support for a digital procurement platform and civil registration reforms in Cameroon, as well as digital skills development for thousands of students in Ghana.

Article Topics

biometric enrollment  |  biometrics  |  digital ID  |  digital ID infrastructure  |  National Identity Number (NIN)  |  Nigeria  |  Nigerian Postal Service