The Federal Government has initiated an investigation into the alleged unauthorized selling of National Identification Numbers following accusations that Nigerians’ personal information was available for purchase online for a charge.
The discovery has aroused significant concern about the preservation of individual privacy rights and the potential economic consequences.
This disclosure was made in a statement by the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani on Wednesday while addressing the issue, confirmed he had begun discussions with the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, on the matter, according to The Punch.
The National Identification Management Commission, which manages Nigeria’s identification database, is currently overseen by the Ministry of Interior.
“While I have engaged with my counterpart at the Ministry of Interior regarding this matter, I am confident in their commitment to safeguarding our national identity data,” Dr. Tijani affirmed.
He expressed confidence in the Ministry of Interior and the NIMC’s continuous efforts to resolve the situation as soon as possible.
Last week, Paradigm Initiative issued a warning after discovering cases where NINs, Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), and other sensitive personal information were supposedly available for sale online, citing direct extraction from government databases.
The Executive Director of the organisation, Gbenga Sesan stated that the data sold on the websites were taken straight from the government’s databases.
“The problem is not Nigerians because we were able to confirm that what they were selling is NIMC’s data and we have proof. We got the NIN slip of the Minister of Communications, Innovation, and Digital Economy, Dr. Bosun Tijani. We got the NIN slip of the number one data regulator in Nigeria, Dr. Vincent Olatunji. We bought them for N100 each to demonstrate that this is not a joke,” he said.”
Although Tijani declined to validate specific accusations made by Paradigm Initiative regarding the criminal selling of Nigerians’ personal data, he did state that the Nigeria Data Protection Commission had launched an investigation into the claimed breach.
He said, “The NDPC, a year-old agency under my supervision as a minister, has over the last few months created data compliance mechanisms for all MDAs and has since started a thorough investigation as to the circumstances surrounding this alleged breach.”
Tijani emphasized the necessity of a strong Digital Public Infrastructure and streamlined data-sharing protocols across government institutions, highlighting his administration’s commitment to strengthening Nigeria’s cybersecurity resilience.
“Having established that, I do believe that it is important to share the proactive steps I have taken upon appointment to help strengthen technology application in government, despite the historically siloed approach to procurement and development,” the minister said.
Meanwhile, NIMC issued a statement on Saturday denying reports of security breaches in its database, stating that it has implemented severe cybersecurity measures to protect the integrity of Nigeria’s national identification database.
The commission also urged Nigerians against providing their information with fake websites. NIMC’s statements that data were sourced from sites other than its platform contradict the Paradigm Initiative’s results.
In March, media outlets reported that a website called expressverify was profiting off the recovery of NINs and personal information from Nigeria’s identification database.
The website purportedly has free access to NINs and personal information of Nigerians registered in the country’s identification database, which is controlled by NIMC.
Following the website’s breach of data protection rules, the NDPC increased its scrutiny of NIMC licensees.
