Nigerian President Goodluck Jonathan has launched a National Identification Number (NIN) exercise, as part of a drive to centralise the country’s identity database.

He launched the scheme in Abuja.

“Our effort and commitment to work for a greater Nigeria has brought us here for the launch of an enrolment exercise for the Issuance of a National Identification Number (NIN),” said Jonathan.

"The importance of 'proof of identity' documentation as a critical social infrastructure for national development cannot be over-emphasised,” he said at the launch of the exercise.

He added that valuable time and resources spent in the past with the aim of delivering an effective identity platform had been met with limited success.

“As we re-calibrate our efforts, we must avoid the pitfalls of the past, and stay focused on achieving results.

"This explains why I had set up a committee chaired by the vice president, to fashion the modalities required to institute a central demographic database," Jonathan said.

According to the president, the committee has recommended that the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and the National Population Commission (NPC), despite their separate obligations, work more closely to complement each other and help deliver a more comprehensive centralised national database.

He said Nigeria could not be an exception to the global trend towards centralised identity management.

“Already, there is a growing quest for specific databases and identity verification by several government institutions and private sector organisations in our country.”

He added that he growing identity verification needs in the country calls for harmonisation and integration of identity databases and the development of a universal service infrastructure.

“To achieve this goal, the National Identity Management Commission should ensure that by December 31, 2014 all persons eligible for registration as provided for in Section 16 of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act No. 23, of 2007 are enrolled into the National Identity Database,” he said.

“By this same date, all government agencies requiring identity verification and authentication services or involved in data capture activities must align their activities with a view to switching over to the NIMC infrastructure,” he added.