The Act establishing the National Identity Management Commission popularly known as NIMC empowers it to register every Nigerians and legal residents (children/minors) inclusive and issue them the National Identification Number also known as NIN and thereafter issue those so registered pursuant to this Act with the National Electronic Identity Card otherwiise known as the General Multipurpose Card (GMPC).

Now I ask, which one of these tokens comes first and which is obtainable globally now? Of course the National Identification Number NIN which also qualifies a duly enrolled individual to get the GMPC. Both tokens are ver important but one comes first which is the Number.

The NIN is one's digital and unique identifier. It does not follow a sequence in order words, it is randomly generated and is assigned to an individual fir life. Upon death of such individual, the NIN is rested and can never be re-issued. One can loose his smart card (GMPC) but that does not mean he/she has lost his/her identity.

The NIN is likened to the Social Security Number issued in the US, the Social Insurance by the UK and the Indian Aadhar. Recently The Indian government registered over a billion of its citizens and only wrote the number on a sheet of paper for people to print out or save in various formats emphasizing the need to have and own the number as the financial requirement for printing smart cards for over a billion Indians can only be imagined. Nigeria cannot afford not to join the rest of the world with its teaming and threatening position in breaking the digital divide.

Moreso, am sure not many people are aware that BVN also started with cards. The very set of registrants had BVN cards but no one talks about BVN cards anymore these days as all you need to quote or provide for KYC is your BVN and you are verified and your identity Authenticated. Soon the NIN, an (eleven) 11 digit - just like your phone number will become a household name as it will be demand everywhere and anywhere you go before services requiring Identity verification is provided to you.

Is NIMC doing away with that beautiful and most priced National ID card? The answer is capital NO. Just relax, get your NIN first, let's populate the database. The Cards will be duly issued.

If you have lost your NIN slip or ca no longer trace it, not to worry USSD *346# is here for the rescue. It is available on all networks though MTN is presently experiencing some minor hitches which is being addressed. The USSD code when typed and sent with any phone provides options 1 and 2. Option 1 is with the phone number you enrolled with while option 2 is with any number. Option 2 asks for dome bio data info after which it returns your 11 digit NIN just like the first option.

Nigerians please avail yourselves of this opportunity and go and enrol as the benefits of the NIN cannot be exhausted here.