FG approves digital identification for IDPs

The Federal Government has given approval for the digital identification of Internally Displaced Persons across the country, the Federal Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy announced on Thursday.

It said the approval was given after a memo on the Draft National Policy on Digital Identity for IDPs in Nigeria was presented at the recent meeting of the Federal Executive Council.

The ministry also stated another memo on request for the construction of a Digital Innovation and Entrepreneurship Centre was presented to the council.

It stated that the Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Isa Pantami, presented both memos to the council at the last FEC meeting in Abuja.

“Both memos were approved and will support in the implementation of the National Digital Economy Policy for a digital Nigeria,” the ministry said in a statement issued by Pantami’s Technical Assistant on Information Technology, Femi Adeluyi.

It explained that the policy on digital identity for IDPs would integrate internally displaced persons, regardless of the challenges they face, such as lack of documentation and vulnerability.

It noted that the Displacement Tracking Matrix showed that millions of citizens were under the IDP category, as these citizens were spread across the 36 states of the federation and the FCT.

Borno State has the highest number of IDPs, while Ondo State has the lowest number at over 1.49 million and over 1,000 people respectively.

“A digital ID will enable the IDPs access public, private and humanitarian services and it will also improve internal security,” the ministry stated.

It noted that the policy on digital identity for IDPs would be supervised by the Ministry of Communications and Digital Economy and implemented by the National Identity Management Commission.