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NIN for foreigners ~ by Emeka Omeihe
The senate recently passed for a second reading, a bill which seeks to allow all persons residing in Nigeria, the right to obtain the National Identity Number, NIN.
But the move failed to take into account the guiding principles for the issuance of such identity numbers across the world.
Titled, “National Identity Management Commission (Repeal and enactment) Bill 2024 (SB.472), the amendment seeks to “expand the scope of registrable persons by broadening the eligibility criteria for registration under the Nigerian ID system to ensure inclusivity and universal coverage”. If it scales through, the bill will allow all persons resident in Nigeria to obtain the NIN and utilise it as a recognised form of identification.
When its sponsor, deputy senate president, Barau Jibrin tabled his lead arguments, his colleagues shared his views after which the bill was passed for a second reading. Nobody saw anything wrong with some of the clauses in the bill. Neither was any objection raised on inherent loopholes that may render the whole essence of NIN registration worthless.
Specifically, part V1(17) of the bill provides that, “Every citizen and resident of the Federal Republic of Nigeria shall be entitled to obtain the National Identification Number by undergoing the process of enrolment in accordance with the Act”.
Part V1 (18) further complicated matters when it stated that “the commission shall take special measures to enrol, and issue National Identification Numbers to such persons who do not have any permanent place of residence and such other categories of individuals as may be specified by regulations”.
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These clauses are utterly at variance with section 16 of the NIMC Act No.23 of 2007 which defined registrable persons as Nigerian citizens, permanent residents and foreigners legally resident in the country for a period of two years or more. The clash of the two clauses with the stipulations of the Act establishing the NIMC on those qualified for registration raises suspicion on the real motive the bill is meant to serve. A cloud of doubt now surrounds the real intent of that amendment bill.
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A piece of legislation that throws open the doors of this country to all manners of residents to obtain the NIN is an open invitation to anarchy. Curiously, the senate would also want the NIN to serve as national identity. That amounts to a contradiction of sorts.
Why issue national identity numbers to people with no legal status to stay in the country? How national is an identity number that does not discriminate between citizens; those legally permitted to reside in the country on the one hand and illegal immigrants on the other? It would seem that piece of legislation was either put together in a hurry or meant to serve some hidden agenda.
It will entail the issuance of the NIN to just any person who finds himself within the shores of this country. No country does that. It remains to be imagined why Jibrin thinks unrestrained access to the NIN by all manner of persons will best serve our national interest especially now.
The absurdity of the two clauses is further illustrated by the provision requiring NIMC to issue NIN to people who do not have any permanent place of residence in the country. That would entail arming people with no fixed addresses with the NIN. Really?
It is either such people are ghosts, live inside the forests or some other obscure criminal hideouts. Every law abiding citizen or foreigner should have a place of residence to be identified with. A country grappling with multidimensional insecurity that has stretched the energies of the security agencies to elastic limits, can only allow that at its peril.
Within the last decade or so, Nigeria has come to confront the insurgency of the Boko Haram and ISWAP, an arm of IS. It is also at battle with the terrorism of the herdsmen, constantly placed at the doorsteps of foreign herders from the Sahel region.
The arms and ammunitions used in these terrorists’ onslaughts are usually blamed on the influx of foreign nationals aided by the porosity of our borders. There is also the phenomenon of banditry which has become difficult to separate from the terrorism of the herdsmen or Boko Haram insurgency. These are extant debilitating challenges to national security. This reality should inform strict adherence to NIN registration ensuring that only people allowed residence by the laws establishing the NIMC get registered.
Unfortunately, that is not the signals we get from the proposed amendment to the NIMC Act of 2007. The amendment bill in part, seeks to throw open access to NIN registration to people who have no business with that piece of document. And if one may ask, of what value is the proposal to empower all residents including the illegal ones; ones that have no identifiable places of abode with the NIN? Does such a measure not amount to a clear invitation to danger?
These questions are raised because of the peculiar place of the country within the sub-region. Nigeria shares borders with other African countries. It does not only share cultural affinity and language with these neighbours, there are common traces of family and blood relationships across borders. There is high level of mobility and influx of people from these countries into our shores. The large size of the country and the economic advantages it offers, make it attractive to its neighbours.
The scenario is bound to be catastrophic when every, and, anybody that finds his way into the shores of this country is easily armed with the NIN. Then also, the NIN would have become a worthless piece of document. That is the manifest danger thrown up by sections of the bill that recommend unrestrained access to NIN registration by foreigners.
Those contentious clauses miserably mock the general rules guiding the establishment of National Identification Numbers or Social Security numbers. According to Wikipedia, a national identity number, or national insurance number is issued by the governments of many countries as a means of tracking their citizens, permanent residents and temporary residents for the purposes of work, taxation governments benefits etc.
In the United States of America US, the Social Security Number (SSN) is a nine- digit number issued to its citizens, permanent residents and temporary (working) residents. It identifies individuals for the purpose of social security but it is now used to track individuals for taxation. It is also required for the opening of bank accounts and applying for drivers’ licence. The SSN has become a de facto national identification number despite the fact that it was not originally meant for that purpose.
There is no legal requirement in the United Kingdom, UK to obtain or carry any identification document. But some form of identification is required for many things like renting an apartment. A national insurance number is used to administer state benefits.
South African national identity card is known as a Smart ID Card. It is issued to South African citizens or permanent residence permit holders who are 16 years or older. People, including spouses and children who are working for the South African government or one of its statutory bodies outside South Africa also qualify to receive that country’s identity document.
In effect, the general principle is for national identification numbers to be issued to citizens, permanent resident permit holders and others legally permitted to reside within a country. The senate will be hard put to show evidence of countries that issue national identity numbers just to any foreigner who happens to set foot within their shores.
Even then, what is the urgency in amending the Act setting up the NIMC especially when the proposed amendment deviates substantially from the norms guiding the issuance of national identity numbers? For a country contending with existential socio-economic and security challenges, the least expected of its lawmakers is the enactment of legislations with prospects of drifting the county further to the precipice.
The amendment bill should not be allowed to see the light of the day. Not only does it deviate from the standard norms guiding the issuance of national identity numbers, it is loaded with frightening prospects of compromising the security of this country.
It will be counterproductive to issue the NIN to the band of marauders, terrorists and faceless foreign criminals taking advantage of the forests to levy war on the rest of us. People living within our shores without traceable places of residence or addresses should be profiled for what they are-security risks.
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The 2023 Labour Party (LP) vice-presidential candidate, Datti Baba-Ahmed, has warned Nigerians that the opposition coalition under the African Democratic Congress (ADC) is giving false hope about rescuing the country from underdevelopment.
“They are deceiving us,” Baba-Ahmed said during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today on Friday.
Baba-Ahmed, who ran alongside Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election won by Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) expressed his willingness to be Obi’s running mate in the 2027 presidential election.
Although Obi has shown interest in the 2027 race and is aligning with ADC coalition figures such as David Mark, Atiku Abubakar, Nasir el-Rufai, Rotimi Amaechi, and Rauf Aregbesola, Baba-Ahmed stressed that he wants Obi to remain in the Labour Party and contest as its presidential candidate.
“I’m in the Labour Party. I’m a Peter Obi man. I still want Peter Obi to come back to the Labour Party and contest the 2027 election,” Baba-Ahmed stated.
When asked about his plans for the 2027 race, Baba-Ahmed confirmed his readiness to serve as a running mate for like-minded leaders committed to restoring Nigeria.
“If Nigeria is still around and there is an electoral system to follow, my love for Nigeria is undying.
I would appropriately associate with groups and individuals aligned with restoring the nation,” he said.
Baba-Ahmed also revealed two potential leaders he would consider deputising, with Peter Obi being his primary choice. “The first one has not said anything.
The second one is Peter Obi. I’m always with Peter Obi until he decides not to,” he added.
Nigeria has secured a $238 million loan from the Japan International Cooperation Agency (JICA) to support the expansion and modernization of the national power grid.
The deal, confirmed during engagements at the ninth Tokyo International Conference on African Development (TICAD9) in Yokohama, Japan, reflects a strategic shift towards implementation-driven energy development.
President Bola Tinubu highlighted that Nigeria’s participation at TICAD9 focused on concrete, outcome-oriented partnerships rather than ceremonial diplomacy.
“We are moving from planning to implementation, from agreements to delivery, and from promises to measurable results,” he said.
Details of the JICA Loan Project
The $238 million loan, supported by a Federal Executive Council counterpart funding of ₦19,083,192,805.30, will finance significant upgrades to Nigeria’s transmission infrastructure.
Key components of the project include:
Construction of 102.95 km of new 330kV double-circuit lines
Construction of 104.59 km of 132kV double-circuit lines
Development of four 330/132/33kV substations and two 132/33kV substations
Multiple line bay extensions to improve efficiency and reduce system losses
According to Minister of Power, Chief Adebayo Adelabu, the partnership with Japanese companies such as Toshiba, Hitachi, and Japan’s Transmission & Distribution Corporation is essential for unlocking Nigeria’s energy potential.
“Our focus is on transmission infrastructure, operational efficiency, and strategies to reduce system losses.
This $238 million loan from JICA provides the backbone for that transformation,” Adelabu explained.
Adelabu acknowledged Japan’s consistent support for Nigeria’s power sector, highlighting contributions in infrastructure, technical studies, training, and financing.
He emphasized that JICA’s backing is critical to expanding access to reliable, affordable, and sustainable electricity across the country.
The project aims to strengthen Nigeria’s power transmission network, improve system reliability, and enhance overall efficiency, ultimately supporting industrial growth and meeting rising electricity demand nationwide.
Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz has issued a fierce warning to Hamas, declaring that Gaza City will face complete destruction if the militant group refuses to accept Israel’s conditions for ending the war.
Katz, in a statement shared on social media on Friday, August 22, 2025, used sharp words to describe Israel’s next steps.
He said the “gates of hell” would open on Hamas if it failed to disarm and release all hostages.
“Soon, the gates of hell will open upon the heads of Hamas’s murderers and rapists in Gaza until they agree to Israel’s conditions,” Katz wrote.
He added that if Hamas refused, Gaza City would suffer the same fate as Rafah and Beit Hanoun, two cities previously flattened by Israeli offensives.
His comments mark one of Israel’s strongest warnings since the escalation of the conflict.
The minister’s remarks came only hours after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that negotiations had been ordered to free the hostages held in Gaza.
Netanyahu explained in a video address that Israel’s military operation in Gaza City would not stop during talks. “Defeating Hamas and releasing our hostages go hand in hand,” he said.
The prime minister also confirmed the mobilisation of 60,000 reservists to join the offensive.
Meanwhile, mediators have been waiting for Israel’s response to a ceasefire plan that Hamas accepted earlier in the week.
The proposal suggests a phased release of hostages, but Israel insists that only a deal ensuring the release of all captives at once will be accepted.
Israel’s hardened stance has sparked growing concern worldwide.
International leaders have cautioned that an expanded assault on Gaza City could worsen the humanitarian disaster already unfolding in the region.
Gaza’s health ministry says more than 62,000 Palestinians, most of them civilians, have been killed since Israel’s military campaign began.
The United Nations considers these figures credible.
The war was triggered by Hamas’s October 2023 attack, which left 1,219 people dead in Israel, mostly civilians.
Since then, the conflict has intensified, with both sides showing little sign of compromise.
With Katz’s threat to turn Gaza City into rubble if demands are not met, the conflict appears to be entering an even deadlier stage.
The international community continues to press for a ceasefire, but Israel’s leadership insists that victory over Hamas and the release of all hostages remain its top priorities.
The National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control (NAFDAC) has raised alarm over the circulation of fake Cowbell “Our Milk” 12g sachets in Nigeria.
In a statement issued on Friday, August 22, 2025, the agency explained that the counterfeit milk is packaged to look like the discontinued Cowbell “Our Milk,” but it is unauthorised and unsafe for consumption.
NAFDAC clarified that Promasidor Nigeria Ltd, the authentic manufacturer, stopped producing Cowbell “Our Milk” in September 2023.
The product was replaced with Cowbell “Our Creamy Goodness.” Despite this, fake versions of the old product have found their way into Nigerian markets.
Picture of Fake cowbell milk.
The counterfeit sachets bear the brand name, NAFDAC registration number, and familiar packaging design, making them difficult for unsuspecting buyers to identify as fake.
Health Dangers of Fake Cowbell Milk
NAFDAC warned that the consumption of these counterfeit products poses serious health risks.
Fake milk could contain toxic chemicals, harmful additives, or diluted ingredients that endanger human health.
Infants, children, pregnant women, and the elderly are the most vulnerable. Possible dangers include:
- Foodborne illnesses
- Allergic reactions
- Organ damage
- Long-term health complications
- In extreme cases, death
Counterfeit Product Details
- Product Name: Cowbell “Our Milk” 12g sachet
- Purported Manufacturer: Promasidor Nigeria Ltd
- Production Date: 04/2025
- Expiry Date: 12/2028
Picture of original cowbell milk.
NAFDAC Issues Strong Warning
The agency urged Nigerians to remain vigilant and avoid purchasing the counterfeit milk.
Healthcare professionals, distributors, and consumers have been advised to report suspicious sales of substandard or fake products immediately.
Reports can be made through:
The nearest NAFDAC office
Toll-free line: 0800-162-3322
Email: sf.alert@nafdac.gov.ng
NAFDAC also called on traders and retailers to stop selling the fake sachets.
The agency assured the public that strict enforcement measures are being taken to remove the counterfeit products from circulation.
This is not the first time Nigerians have faced risks from fake food and beverages.
Experts warn that counterfeit consumables are becoming more sophisticated, often making them difficult to spot.
Consumers are advised to always check product details, expiry dates, and packaging changes announced by manufacturers.
By highlighting the dangers and raising awareness, NAFDAC says it hopes to protect Nigerians from avoidable health crises linked to fake milk products
Former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi has slammed the Federal Government’s approval of ₦142 billion for the construction of bus terminals across Nigeria, describing it as a reckless misplacement of priorities.
Obi issued a statement on Friday, August 22, via his Official X formerly Twitter platform, warning that the project reflects poor leadership and lack of focus in managing Nigeria’s limited resources. He titled his statement, “₦142 Billion for Bus Terminals.”
According to him, the true test of leadership is how scarce resources are prioritized.
He stressed that investing such a huge amount in bus terminals while critical sectors like healthcare suffer shows a government that is out of touch with citizens’ realities.
Obi said: “The difference between success and failure in any nation is how leaders prioritise resources.
The decision to spend ₦142 billion on six bus terminals exposes a lack of competence and vision. It is a clear sign of poor leadership.”
The Federal Executive Council had recently approved the funds for the construction of one modern bus terminal in each of the six geopolitical zones.
The government described it as part of efforts to modernise transport infrastructure and improve mobility nationwide.
But Obi strongly disagreed. He compared the allocation to healthcare funding, pointing out that the combined budget for all teaching hospitals and federal psychiatric centres in Nigeria is less than ₦100 billion in the 2024 budget.
“This is disturbing,” Obi continued, “because health remains one of the most critical sectors of development. Yet it is underfunded and deteriorating rapidly.
The World Health Organization has reported that over 20 million Nigerians live with mental health conditions.
This is a tragic irony. How can the government ignore this crisis and focus on bus terminals?”
He argued that the health sector, alongside education and poverty reduction programs, deserves priority attention.
Obi insisted that until government spending reflects the real needs of Nigerians, the country will remain trapped in poor governance.
Many Nigerians have also taken to social media to express anger, echoing Obi’s concerns. Critics argue that the decision proves the Federal Government is disconnected from the economic struggles of ordinary citizens.
For Obi, the ₦142 billion project is not just a case of wrong timing.
He sees it as a clear example of governance failure and misplaced priorities.
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