The National Identity Management Commission, NIMC has cleared all outstanding payments owed to the Front End Partners, FEPs for all enrolment that successfully hit the database and generated the National Identification Numbers, NINs.
In a statement signed by its Head of Corporate Communications Unit, Kayode Adegoke, the NIMC noted that the FEPs were contracted in 2021 by the Erstwhile administration through the former Minister of Communications and Digital Economy to scale up enrollment for the National Identification Number, NIN. However, the FEPs were only paid for one year of enrollment activities.
Consequent upon the resumption of Engr Abisoye Coker-Odusote as the NIMC DG/CEO, she promised to clear the outstanding owed to the FEPs.
As part of the process of paying the outstanding money, all the FEPs were subjected to a revalidation exercise to ensure they met internationally acceptable standards, adhered to compliance, and followed best ethical practices.
The statement also noted that after the revaluation exercise, the NIMC, with the support of the Identity for Development (ID4D) and the World Bank, began the process for the payment of the outstanding NIN enrolment money owed to the FEPs.
It said the outstanding money was not part of the World Bank-funded NIN Enrolment project. The NIN Enrolment between 2021 and 2024 by the FEPs was a stop-gap measure approved by the erstwhile Minister of Communications and Digital Economy to scale up NIN enrolment pending the commencement of the World Bank/ID4D project.
The statement quotes Coker-Odusote as reiterating her commitment to ensuring that the Commission continues to provide the necessary support to build a credible, reliable, and world-class identity database. The World Bank and ID4D’s valuable support to NIMC is well appreciated, she says.
On their part, MD/CEO of Knowledge Square Ltd, Phillip M Adekunle, noted that this decisive action not only fosters trust and accountability but also strengthens the collaboration between NIMC and its partners.
MD of Slogani, Pastor Vincent Emiowele, said the NIMC Management, most especially the DG/CEO, should be commended for the payment of all the outstanding money owed to the FEPs; it is timely and highly appreciated ‘ he added.