The National Orientation Agency (NOA) has expressed its readiness to deepen collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in an effort to redefine what it means to be Nigerian—beyond numbers, data, and biometric identifiers.
This commitment was made known during a courtesy visit by the Director General of NIMC, Dr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, and her team to the NOA headquarters in Abuja.
She was received by the Director General of NOA, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, who commended NIMC’s pivotal role in building a robust and inclusive national identity framework.
Issa-Onilu acknowledged that biometric verification now underpins most official transactions in Nigeria, making NIMC’s mandate central to national development.
However, he stressed that identity goes beyond documentation.
“While NIMC provides the physical and digital representation of our identity, NOA is committed to the emotional, psychological, and civic dimensions of being Nigerian,” he said.
He emphasized that the NOA’s Nigeria Identity Project seeks to foster a true sense of belonging, national purpose, and patriotism among citizens.
“To build genuine patriotism, we must move beyond asking what citizens can do for the country.
We must begin to build trust in what the government is doing for its people,” Issa-Onilu stated.
He added that NOA has developed various digital platforms and mobile applications to connect with citizens—particularly the youth—so that national values and government policies are better communicated and embraced.
In her remarks, NIMC’s DG, Dr. Coker-Odusote, outlined several key innovations the commission has introduced, including the unique 11-digit National Identification Number (NIN), a digital ID wallet, and the expansion of identity services across Nigeria.
She highlighted the agency’s ongoing efforts to ensure that no citizen is excluded from the identity ecosystem—especially in rural and underserved communities.
“Identity must not only be accessible but must also speak the language of the people,” she said.
Dr. Coker-Odusote noted that the visit marks the beginning of a stronger, values-based partnership between NOA and NIMC to develop a secure, inclusive, and emotionally resonant identity system—one that speaks to both the body and soul of Nigeria.
Reporting by Abiola Peters