It was a historical day in Abuja as Nigeria for the first time observed the National Identity Day.
The National Identity Day is the brainchild of the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Aliyu Aziz; whose desire is to create awareness on the importance of identification as a modern tool for national development and social cohesion.
The choice of September 16 as the date for the commemoration is based on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) 16.9 which calls for legal identity for all – including birth by 2030.
More importantly, the day is observed globally as the International Identity Day.
According to the United Nations, one billion people globally do not have any means of identification; with half that number alone located in Sub-Saharan Africa. In fact, one in two persons in Africa lack any form of Identification.
Security assured
The representative of Secretary to Government of the Federation, Gabriel Tanimu, stated that if we can properly manage identity, the fallout will be enough.
He said it will assist in areas of security, job creation and elimination of ghost workers
Apart from speeches and goodwill messages from key stakeholders in the Information, Communication and Technology sectors, the unveiling of Nigeria National Identity Day emblem was the major highpoint of the epoch-making event.
