*Tasks world leaders to adhere to global best practices in digital identification
By; BAYO AKAMO, Ibadan
The Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Digital, Information Communication Technology and Cybersecurity, Hon Adedeji Olajide Odidiomo on Tuesday, alerted that going by the World bank record, over 1 billion people worldwide lack a legal identity,
Hon Olajide Odidiomo made this known in his message to mark 6th National Identity Day, held on the 16th of September, every year.
The lawmaker declared that the lack of legal identify has been making it difficult for them to access essential services, participate in the economy and exercise their rights.
In view of this, the Chairman, House of Representatives Committee on Digital, Information Communication Technology and Cybersecurity called on world leaders to adhere to global best practices in digital identification .
“Digital identification is critical in accessing essential services, improving service delivery and bolstering digital economy, and it is our collective responsibility to ensure that every individual has a secure and verifiable digital ID”, he said.
Hon Olajide Odidiomo added, “This challenge, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has been working to address by developing a digital identity framework that leverages technology to provide secure and verifiable identities for all Nigerians to drive economic growth, improve service delivery and enhance national security”.
Emphasizing the importance of legal identity and birth registration for all individuals worldwide, in line with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goal 16.9, Hon Olajide Odidiomo said the successful execution of digital identity systems requires collaboration, data privacy and respect for fundamental human rights.
According to the lawmaker, this year’s theme, “Celebrating the Right to be Visible,” highlighted the progress made and the work still needed to ensure that every individual has a secure and verifiable digital ID.
Commending the efforts of the federal government in driving the digital identity ecosystem in Nigeria, the lawmaker stressed the need for continued collaboration between government agencies, private sector stakeholders and civil society organizations to achieve the goals of digital identification.
