100 million Nigerians without official identity - NIMC

The National Identity Management Commission said on Tuesday that over 100 million Nigerians had no official identity.

The Director-General, NIMC, Mr. Chris Onyemenam, said this during a stakeholders' forum on the commission's electronic identity programme in Port Harcourt.

Onyemenam also revealed that 75 per cent of identity documents currently in the country were fake and self-issued, even as he observed the absence of a timely means of authenticating identity documents in Nigeria.

He pointed out that the situation had made it difficult for majority of Nigerians to have access to financial services from banks and other relevant institutions.

Onyemenam said less than 20 per cent of the country's population had access to financial services due to the non-availability of a fast means of authenticating personal identity documents.

He said, 'Over 100 million Nigerians have no official identity, while 75 per cent of identity documents are fake or self-issued. There is no timely means of authenticating the documents.

'As a result, less than 20 per cent of the country's population have access to financial services. The actual total bank cards are less than 10 per cent of the population.'