…As Stakeholders Pledge Collaboration
The Nigeria Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) project says it will continue to engage the Nigerian civil society community, to ensure effective citizens’ participation in its implementation.
Project Coordinator, Nigeria Digital ID4D project, Musa Odole Solomon stated this at a two-day workshop, organized for representatives of civil society organisations in Nigeria, held at Reiz Continental Hotel, Abuja, recently.
Solomon, represented by the project’s Internal Communications Manager, Dr. Walter Duru described the civil society as important partners in the Nigeria Digital ID4D project, assuring them of his willingness to collaborate.
He urged them to key into the country’s digital identification project, even as he pledged the project’s willingness to collaborate with them, especially, as enrolment kicks off in 2023.
“The civil society interfaces with the state, on behalf of other citizens. As such, you are the bridge between government and the citizens and thus, very important to what we do. The project has elaborate plans for the engagement of civil society in Nigeria. We therefore invite you to partner with us towards achieving our objectives.”
The event, with the theme: “Establishing an inclusive enrolment system and effective feedback mechanism for the ID4D Project” had in attendance, civil society actors from all the states of Nigeria.
In his overview of the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project, the Technical Lead of the Project Implementation Unit, Wale Popoola said “the Project seeks to address the poor fragmentation of the Nigeria Identity ecosystem”, urging the CSOs to “cue into the enrolment process, as it is geared towards ensuring inclusive and sustainable growth for marginalized groups, IDPs, refugees and people with disabilities, giving them a sense of belonging in development planning and programmes of government.”
Adding his voice, Census Manager of the National Population Commission, Dr. Inuwa Jalingo, outlined the progress made towards digitizing the civil registry in Nigeria.
He added that the Commission had an ongoing conversation in the areas of strengthening her legal and institutional framework, digitizing the civil registry and capacity development.
Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disability, James Lalu, represented by Mr. Soji Adewole, expressed happiness that “a project as people-centred as the Nigeria Digital ID4D was coming to fruition, to ensure inclusion of persons with disabilities.”
He pledged the Commission’s readiness to partner with the Nigeria Digital ID4D project in ensuring persons with disability were carried along without discrimination.
Other participants took turns to pledge their willingness to partner the Nigeria Digital ID4D project, describing it as worthwhile.
Highlights of the two-day event were panel discussions, break-out sessions, interactive sessions, among others.
The event was attended by important dignitaries, among whom were the World Bank’s Senior Social Development Specialist, Victoria Esquivel-Korsiak, representatives of the Director General, National Center for Women Development (NCWD), the Federal Commissioner, National Commission for Refugees, Migrants and IDPs and the Executive Secretary, National Commission for Persons with Disabilities.
Others include: the Chairman, National Population Commission, represented by the Census Manager, Dr. Inuwa Jalingo, National Protection Officer, United Nations High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR), Bunmi Olaonipekun; Chairman, Nigerian Inter-Faith Action Association and the Project Coordinator, Nigeria for Women Project.