The minister of interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, says if there’s no appropriate identity management there will not be adequate security and prosperity for the citizens.
He made this remark on Monday in Abuja at the 6th National Day of Identity organised by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
This year’s event is themed “Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI); Enabling Access to Services”.
Tunji-Ojo said that albeit it is the right of the government to “harness” the identity of the people, it is equally the right of the citizens to have their data protected.
“If you do not get the identity of the people right, you can’t protect them, that is the truth. You can’t provide for those you don’t know. identity Is the foundation, cradle, genesis for all development,” he said.
“When we manage identity, we must also talk about data protection. You can’t manage identity when you can’t protect the data. The data protection act is very fundamental.
“It is the right of the government to have the identity of the people, harness the identity of the people, to build the identity of the people, but it is the right of the people for their identities to be protected.
“It brings you to a situation where you have to strike a balance between security and identity management. If you don’t curb the problem of the proliferation of identity you will continue to be at the mercy of enemies of the state.”
Whilst speaking, NIMC’s director-general, Abisoye Coker-Odusote said that there is need for the private and public sectors to augment their cooperation to reap the benefits of DPI.
“The student loan initiative showcases how DPI can eliminate financial barriers to education,” she said.
“By collaborating with 257 institutions 332,715 students have been registered for loans and over 18,000 students have received payment through this initiative.”