World Bank Collaborates NIMC for Digital National IDs

In a significant move towards inclusion and accessibility, the World Bank has announced plans to collaborate with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) of Nigeria to ensure the successful rollout and registration of digital national IDs for all Nigerians.

The ambitious goal is to provide at least 148 million people of working age with a digital national ID by the middle of 2024.

This collaboration was revealed by the World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri, during a dinner event held in partnership with the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy in Abuja on Friday.

Chaudhuri reaffirmed the World Bank’s commitment to eradicating poverty, improving lives, and creating job opportunities, particularly for Nigeria’s youth.

Chaudhuri highlighted the potential of leveraging digital technologies to drive transformation and outlined two key areas of partnership with Nigeria to achieve these goals.

He emphasized the importance of the digital national ID as a foundation for digital transformation. “One of the main partnerships we have is working with NIMC to ensure the rollout of the registration so that all 213/220 million Nigerians have a digital national ID,” Chaudhuri said.

He further elaborated, “Our main mission here in Nigeria is to eliminate poverty, make lives better, create jobs for all Nigerian youth. One of the areas that we think has the greatest potential is the area of using digital technologies to transform.”

Chaudhuri stressed the significance of broadband connectivity in the digital transformation process. He applauded Nigeria’s efforts to lead in broadband infrastructure and highlighted the need for private investment in this space.

He also mentioned the importance of policies and regulations that encourage private investment and reduce fees for infrastructure development, such as the right of way fees for fiber optic cables.

In response, Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, announced that the government has secured access to approximately half a billion dollars to initiate a local funding program.

This program aims to boost innovation and entrepreneurship within Nigeria’s digital sector. “So we’ve got access to about half a billion dollars to start local funding,” Tijani disclosed.

Tijani emphasized the importance of supporting true Nigerian businesses through this funding initiative. He stated, “We want to ensure that those businesses that will benefit are true, real Nigerian businesses.” The minister also revealed plans to collaborate with the Bank of Industry to ensure the effectiveness of the local funding program.

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Tijani’s vision extends beyond the initial funding. He assured the public that the half a billion dollars is just the beginning and that more investors will be brought on board to increase funds available for local entrepreneurs. “The government is not just going to put half a billion and that’s it,” Tijani affirmed.

As the partnership between the World Bank and NIMC takes shape and Nigeria’s digital transformation gains momentum, the nation is poised to foster economic progress and empower its youth through increased access to digital technologies and entrepreneurial opportunities. The collaboration aims to transform Nigeria into a global hub for digital innovation, creating a brighter future for all Nigerians.