MANAGING IDENTITY DIVIDE: LANDSCAPING THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE NIGERIAN IDENTIFICATION SCHEME
MANAGING IDENTITY DIVIDE: LANDSCAPING THE CONSTRAINTS OF THE NIGERIAN IDENTIFICATION SCHEME

Summary/Abstract: The spontaneous advancement in information communication technology aided several achievements in the way and manner government transacts business with citizens and private businesses. As such, the adoption of e-government in both public sector and private sector is attached to the growing wave of identity management across the globe. As it is practice in the public sector, policy intervention was adopted to manage the deployment of national identification schemes and this is applicable to Nigeria. However, a decade and half implementation of the policy yielded no significant results given the huddles of enrollment faced by an average enrollee. It was on these grounds that this article to investigate the constraints navigating the operation of the national policy and framework on identification system in Nigeria becomes researchable gap. Survey research (questionnaire and interview) and descriptive statistics (Relative Impact Index) were used in collecting and analysing data gathered from 214 administrators of four relevant identity-oriented agencies (NIMC, NIS, INEC and FRSC). The results indicated that constraints such as insufficient central database infrastructure, unstable electricity, poor internet connectivity, unclear delegation of responsibilities among agencies, insufficient funding and institutional corrupt practices were principal among the constraints of the new identity regime. It further concluded that more research of this nature is expected to explore the emerging issues from the implementation of the policy while advising the government to rework the identified constraints, for instance, it is expected that government decentralise the enrollment process following the model used in the telecommunication industry for registering SIM cards by accrediting private firms for the enrollment exercise. It added that for the system to be unique and foundational as claimed in the policy thrust, the policy guidelines on harmonisation and integration of existing functional database need an accelerated redevelopment for implementation as well as a separate legal instrument footing its legality.

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