National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced the temporary suspension of Front-End Partners (FEPs) from participating in National Identification Number (NIN) enrolments.
Gatekeepers News reports that the Director-General of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote disclosed this during a four-day training session for the newly revalidated FEPs in Abuja.
This is coming barely two months after the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) disclosed that all the Bank Verification Number (BVN) or NIN attached to and/or associated with accounts or wallets must be electronically revalidated by January 31, 2024.
In addition, the CBN announced that all bank accounts without BVN and NIN will be placed on “Post no Debit” effective April 2024.
The suspension of the third-party service forms part of a broader revalidation exercise aimed at sanitising the enrolment process and addressing outstanding debts owed to these third-party agents.
Coker-Odusote stressed that this initiative was not targeted at any specific group but was a necessary step towards ensuring data integrity within the country’s identity database.
The NIMC DG noted that the decision to suspend NIN enrolment activities at all FEP centres is a strategic move to conduct a thorough audit of the claims made by FEPs and to ensure compliance with the highest standards of data security.
According to her, this revalidation exercise, implemented in phases, is expected to address the significant debts inherited by the current administration, some of which are linked to questionable invoices and claims.
She said, “Don’t forget that I inherited huge debts owed FEPs for over two years. Some of the invoices and claims were questionable, requiring proper auditing. The rot in the process and system left me with no option but to take deliberate steps toward sanitising the enrolment process.
“And to this end, I directed that NIN enrolment activities at all FEP centres be suspended temporarily, pending the outcome of a revalidation exercise.”
Coker-Odusote had earlier announced plans to clear outstanding payments owed to its enrolment agents known as Front-End Partners (FEPs) within the first quarter of 2024.
