The National Orientation Agency (NOA) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have inaugurated a joint committee to spearhead public enlightenment and grassroots mobilisation ahead of nationwide ward-level enrolment for the National Identification Number (NIN).
Delivering the inaugural address at the NOA headquarters in Abuja, the Director-General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, who was represented by the Director of Media and Communication, Mallam Bala Musa, commended NIMC for its commitment to expanding identity inclusion nationwide.
Issa-Onilu noted that the NIN remains central to national planning, security, social protection, and financial inclusion, stressing that the success of the ward-level enrolment initiative would depend not only on operational deployment but also on strategic engagement and effective public sensitization.
Describing the partnership as timely and strategic, he said NOA’s nationwide reach is strengthened by collaborations with over 200 radio stations, leading television networks, social media platforms, its AI chatbot CLHEEAN, and a workforce spread across 818 offices nationwide.
He assured that sensitisation messages would be inclusive, culturally sensitive, and accessible, particularly to underserved and rural communities, adding that the agency would proactively address possible misconceptions surrounding the enrolment process.
In her remarks, NIMC’s Team Lead and Director of Operations, Mrs. Uche Chigbo, disclosed that the Commission plans to expand enrolment from the local government level to wards, with a target of achieving 95 per cent coverage nationwide by the end of the year.
She announced that the ward-level enrolment exercise will commence on February 16, noting that licensed partners will be engaged to support the Commission in reaching the targeted population.
According to her, the intensive phase of the exercise will last six weeks, with five days dedicated to enrolment activities in each ward across the country, covering individuals across all demographics.
Members of the joint committee from NOA include Mallam Bala Musa, Director of Media and Communication; Mrs. Adaline Waye, Director of Community Outreach and Development; and Mrs. Sherifat Adegbesan, Special Assistant to the DG on Intergovernmental Affairs.
NIMC committee members include Mrs. Uche Chigbo, Director of Operations; James Bura Mamza, Deputy Director and Territorial Director, North Central; Mr. Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications; Amen Peter Odia, Head of Protocol; and Ayodele Babalola, Technical Adviser to the Director-General of NIMC.