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The Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Aliyu Aziz, has identified digital identity as a critical factor for individuals to access social benefits including subsidies and entitlements.
According to Engr. Aziz, since public and private sector agencies require proof of identity as a prerequisite for providing services to individuals, failure to prove identity forms a major barrier barring people from accessing social benefits.
He disclosed this in a keynote paper entitled ‘Digital Inclusion: Opportunities, Challenges and Strategies’ which he presented at the 27th annual conference of the Nigeria Computer Society, in Ibadan on Tuesday, a statement from the commission said yesterday.
“Inability to prove identity is one of the biggest barriers preventing access to benefits, subsidies, exercise of basic rights as well as claiming entitlements,” he said, adding that “without knowing who the people are, no government or private sector will be able to effectively deliver important services such as social safety net, elections, agriculture, pension and education, among others.’’
Engr. Aziz, also said “Identity is a pre-requisite for a country’s economic, social and political progress and development,” because “good identification works hand-in-hand with greater use of internet, payments and skills for a vibrant digital economy.”
