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FG Pledges to Provide Identification for All Nigerians in 5 Years
The Federal Government has declared its determination to provide a lifelong unique identification for every individual physically residing in Nigeria and Nigerians in the diaspora within the next five years.
Engr. Aliyu Aziz, Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), made the declaration yesterday, while speaking at the Fifth Annual Meeting of the Identity for Africa (ID4Africa) Movement holding in Johannesburg, South Africa.
Addressing the over 1,500 delegates at the world’s largest identity for development gathering, Engr. Aziz stated that for Nigeria to enhance governance, help its people rise out of poverty, restore growth and participate in the digital economy, “we need a unique digital identification platform that is linked to functional ID registries for accessing services.”
In realization of the demands to function in the digital economy for sustainable growth therefore, Engr. Aziz told the audience that Nigeria is executing a digital identity ecosystem project endorsed in September 2018 by the Federal Executive Council, the highest decision-making organ of government.
Laying bare the grand plan by the government in his paper titled ‘Digital Identity the Cornerstone to Effective Service Delivery’ Engr. Aziz revealed that the “Strategic Roadmap Vision is to reach universal coverage of robust digital identification in Nigeria” by applying an ecosystem approach of enrolling citizens of all ages and legal residents within the set time-frame.
“The ecosystem approach of enrollment will constitute trusted partners, and a pay-per-play model for successful enrollments,” Engr. Aziz said, adding “the purpose of the ecosystem approach is to leverage existing capabilities and enrollment facilities of government agencies, partners and private sector operators in Nigeria, as opposed to building new ones.”
Explaining further, he said the ecosystem approach leverages the capacity of “all ID stakeholders in the ecosystem to reach full coverage of the target population.”
Engr. Aziz listed some unique and beneficial features of the digital ID ecosystem approach to include, among others:
- Federal Government-led initiative to collect biometric data nationwide in one go;
- coordinated effort to avoid duplicating data collection at high cost and time;
- leverage existing ecosystem of Government agencies (including Federal, State and LGAs) and Private sector organisations;
- NIMC facilitates collecting identity data (biometric and demographic data)
- Partners collect data and are paid per successful enrolment;
- NIMC stores data and uses same to offer a Unique ID.
The director-general named some of the stakeholders and partners in the ecosystem approach to include the National Population Commission, Nigeria Immigration Service, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Central Bank of Nigeria, National Health Insurance Scheme, National Independent Electoral Commission and the Federal Road Safety Commission.
Others include the Corporate Affairs Commission, Nigerian Communications Commission, Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board, the Nigeria Police Force and the National Pension Commission.
He said on January 1, 2019 government began the mandatory enforcement of the use of the National Identification Number (NIN) for such services like application for and issuance of passport, registration of voters, opening of bank accounts, all consumer credit transactions, purchase of insurance policies, transactions with social security implications, all land related transactions, transactions specified under the contributory health insurance scheme, payment of taxes, transactions pertaining to pension, admission into schools and all other relevant government services.
“Proving ‘who is who’ in Nigeria is critical to accessing services physically and electronically as well as in identifying the targeted beneficiaries of a programme, project or scheme,” Engr. Aziz reasoned.
According to him, “there is a strong correlation between identification and service delivery and this is central in the effective delivery of important services to the people by the Federal Government.”
He said there was no option for Nigeria than embrace and implement digital identity as “all modern economic services are done digitally and rely on good identification in order to promote economic growth and opportunities.”
Engr. Aziz said the benefits of the digital identity ecosystem approach are, among others, to scale up enrolment, extend coverage nationwide, reduce cost in data collection, speed-up delivery, provide digital verification of ID anytime and anywhere in Nigeria, just as a well-developed digital identification program will help deliver the government’s development agenda, and provide for key government services, such as safety net, financial inclusion, security and agriculture.
Mobility technology company, Moove has raised $250 million in a Series C funding round at a valuation of $2.1 billion, reaching unicorn status.
The startup will deploy the fresh capital to build out autonomous vehicle infrastructure, expand fleet ownership, construct robotics-focused “Nests” for charging and maintenance, and grow its autonomous workforce from 150 to 500 by year-end.
The company plans to enter additional global markets, reflecting a strategy to build the operational infrastructure required for large-scale autonomous transportation rather than simply supplying vehicles.
Led by Mubadala Investment Company and co-led by Woven Capital, Toyota’s Growth Fund, and Ion Pacific, the round also included new investors BlueCrest Capital Management, Sona Asset Management and The Raptor Group, alongside existing backers BlackRock, MUFG, Franklin Templeton and Uber.
“Autonomous mobility is becoming an infrastructure race requiring fleets, charging systems, maintenance, data infrastructure and continuous city-level operations,” said Ladi Delano, co-founder, co-CEO and advisory board chairman of Moove.
Founded in Lagos in 2020, Moove has grown into a global mobility platform employing about 3,300 people across 29 cities in 13 countries, operating approximately 42,000 vehicles and reaching $420 million in annualised recurring revenue.
It has expanded organically and through acquisitions, including Kovi in Brazil and Tokyo Taxi in Japan. Moove also operates autonomous vehicle fleets in partnership with Waymo in Phoenix and Miami, with London expected to join its footprint.
The $2.1 billion valuation places Moove among Africa’s small group of tech unicorns, alongside Flutterwave, OPay, Moniepoint, Andela, Chipper Cash, Wave, Tyme, MNT-Halan and Interswitch.
The $250 million round is the largest single funding deal announced by an African startup this year, though EV mobility firm Spiro raised $270 million cumulatively across two separate rounds.
Heirs Life Assurance, the specialist life insurance company of Heirs Insurance Group, has appointed Pastor Jerry Eze as an Independent Non-Executive Director on its Board, effective August 10, 2026.
L – R: Tony Elumelu, Chairman, Heirs Life Assurance; Pastor Jerry Eze, incoming director, Heirs Life Assurance
The appointment reinforces Heirs Life Assurance’s commitment to expanding financial inclusion and accelerating insurance adoption by strengthening public trust, consumer education, and long-term financial resilience across Nigeria.
Despite being Africa’s largest economy, Nigeria’s insurance penetration remains below one percent – among the lowest globally – highlighting the need to expand financial protection and build greater public trust in insurance.
As Heirs Life continues to pursue its mission of making insurance accessible to every Nigerian, Eze’s appointment brings a unique perspective on community engagement, value-based leadership, and broad societal impact.
Pastor Jerry Eze is the Founder and Lead Pastor of Streams of Joy International Ministry, a growing multinational ministry with 34 branches across West Africa, Southern Africa, Europe and North America.
He is also the convener of the New Season Prophetic Prayers and Declaration (NSPPD), one of the world’s largest digital prayer platforms, reaching millions of people daily. Through his ministry and humanitarian initiatives, he has become one of Africa’s most influential voices, championing hope, compassion, and community transformation.
Beyond ministry, Eze is the Founder of the Jerry Eze Foundation, a faith-led philanthropy where he provides housing support and grants to vulnerable and underserved communities.
In 2026, he announced N1billion in grants to support young entrepreneurs across agriculture, technology, and manufacturing, further advancing enterprise development and economic opportunity.
Before entering full-time ministry, Pastor Jerry Eze built a career in development communications, serving as a Communications Specialist on a World Bank HIV/AIDS programme and with the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA).
He holds a Bachelor’s degree in History and International Relations from Abia State University and a postgraduate degree in Business Administration from Enugu State University of Science and Technology.
Speaking about the appointment, Tony O. Elumelu, CFR, Chairman, Heirs Life Assurance, said: “Pastor Jerry brings an exceptional combination of integrity, influence, and a deep understanding of people and communities.
“As we continue our mission to democratise access to insurance, his insight will help strengthen consumer trust, deepen financial inclusion, and reinforce our commitment to protecting the financial future of millions of Nigerians.
“We are delighted to welcome him to the Board of Heirs Life Assurance and the broader family of Heirs Insurance Group.”
Commenting on his appointment, Pastor Jerry Eze said: “I am honoured to join the Board of Heirs Life Assurance at a defining moment for the insurance industry. Financial security empowers individuals, families, and businesses to pursue their aspirations with greater confidence and resilience.
“I look forward to working with the Board and Management to advance the company’s mission of making insurance more accessible, relevant, and impactful for every Nigerian.”
Heirs Life Assurance has become one of Nigeria’s leading specialist life insurance companies, ranking 7th on the Financial Times list of Africa’s fastest-growing companies.
It is one of the three insurance businesses of Heirs Holdings, the leading pan-African investment company, with investments across 24 countries and four continents.
Combining an omni-channel digital presence with physical branches spread across the country, Heirs Life continues to redefine life insurance through innovation, customer-centric solutions, and a commitment to making financial protection accessible to every Nigerian.
Heirs Insurance Group, comprising Heirs Life Assurance, Heirs General Insurance, and Heirs Insurance Brokers, collectively serves over 3 million people directly and indirectly.
The Group is championing financial inclusion and leading the digital insurance play in Nigeria, demonstrating its mission to democratise access to insurance.
The World Bank Group has announced the 31-month debarments of United Aviation Services Limited (UNASEL), a transportation services company based in Nigeria, and Air Vice Marshal Alkali Mamu, its owner and president, “in connection with fraudulent practices under the Enhancing Niger Northeastern Connectivity Project,” according to a press release issued by the multilateral development bank.
The statement said that the project aims to enhance connectivity and road safety along the Zinder-Agadez Road section and improve access to basic socioeconomic infrastructure for selected communities in that road section.
However, according to the statement: “UNASEL and Mr. Mamu presented false experience documents in a prequalification application to qualify for a contract under the project. This was a fraudulent practice under the World Bank’s sanctions framework.”
“The debarments make UNASEL and Mr. Mamu ineligible to participate in projects and operations financed by Bank Group institutions. The debarments are part of two settlement agreements under which UNASEL and Mr. Mamu admit culpability for the underlying sanctionable practices,” it added.
The statement further said: “Per the Bank Group Sanctioning Guidelines, the settlement agreements provide for a reduced period of debarment in light of UNASEL and Mr. Mamu’s cooperation.
As a condition for release from sanction under the terms of the settlement agreements, UNASEL and Mr. Mamu commit to developing and implementing integrity compliance measures that reflect the relevant principles set out in the Bank Group Integrity Compliance Guidelines, and Mr. Mamu further agrees to complete corporate ethics training.
UNASEL and Mr. Mamu also commit to continue to fully cooperate with the Bank Group’s Integrity Vice Presidency.
“The debarments of UNA SEL and Mr. Mamu qualify for cross-debarment by other multilateral development banks under the Agreement for Mutual Enforcement of Debarment Decisions that was signed on April 9, 2010.”
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