The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Sunday denied reports that its database was compromised as a result of the undersea cable cut which has disrupted services of banks and telecom operators in Nigeria.
The Commission assured
Nigerians of safety and
protection of their data. The Commission’s assurance came as response to report
from some sections of the media concerning an alleged breach of citizens’ data
by a private organization, XpressVerify.
A statement signed by the Commission and made available on
Sunday says, that it offers NIN verification and other services through
licensed partners and had never licensed
XpressVerify as one of its licensed partners.
The statement reads In part: “The National Identity
Management Commission (NIMC) received with concern news from some sections of
the media pertaining to an alleged breach of citizens’ data by a private
organization, XpressVerify.
The Commission wishes to state that it offers NIN
verification and other services through licensed partners.
However, XpressVerify
is not one of the Commission’s licensed partners. We express our gratitude to
our media partners and the whistleblowers for bringing this to our attention
and wish to assure Nigerians and legal residents that there is no data breach
of any sort and the Citizens’ data is safe and secure in the Nigeria’s National
identity database.
The Director General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC,
Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote has promptly ordered a comprehensive investigation
into the matter to find out if any of the Commission’s Tokenisation
verification agents has in any way breach the licensing agreement either
directly or through any of their sub-licensees.
“Engr Coker-Odusote affirms the commitment of NIMC to data
protection and privacy, and assures that no stone will be left unturned in
ensuring the safety and security of the data of all enrollees. ‘Top-level
security is in place to protect the NIN and other personal data of every
citizen and legal resident”.
The Commission however, reaffirmed its unwavering dedication
to safeguarding, securing, and responsibly managing the data entrusted to it
and affirmed that it understands the critical importance of maintaining public
trust and confidence in our operations, and we will continue to uphold the
highest standards of integrity and accountability.