By Aaior K. Comfort
The Federal Government of Nigeria has expressed concern over the negative image the country faces abroad, attributing it largely to foreigners using Nigerian identities. To address this issue, plans are underway to harmonize the national citizenship database for better individual and corporate identity management.
Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, Minister of Interior, revealed the initiative during the opening session of a three-day national training workshop on counter-terrorism financing, organized by the Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA). The aim of the database harmonization is to enhance identity verification globally, aiding in the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing in both Nigeria and West Africa.
Tunji-Ojo emphasized the need for robust individual and corporate identity management to prevent identity fraud, stating, “Identity fraud must be nil. It must be impossible for one person to open different accounts or hold accounts under different names.” He highlighted the issue of individuals using multiple identities to engage in fraudulent activities and called for a more integrated approach to identity management.
The minister underscored that the era of using Nigerian passports to acquire multiple identities in different countries should end. He shared an example of a recent case where an individual used a Nigerian passport with one name and a British passport with another, illustrating the gaps in current identity management systems.
Tunji-Ojo assured that Nigeria is on the verge of launching a centralized citizens’ integrity and document authentication system. This system aims to harmonize the database for real-time verification of Nigerian documents worldwide. The initiative is part of a broader effort to enhance national security and combat terrorism.
In related remarks, Mrs. Hafsat Bakari, Director of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit (NFIU), emphasized the importance of the workshop for improving techniques in tracing and preventing terrorism financing. Edwin W. Harris Jr., Director-General of GIABA, reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to supporting West African countries in strengthening their anti-money laundering and counter-terrorism financing capacities.
The workshop marks a critical step in addressing the challenges of identity fraud and enhancing financial security in the region.