The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) is seeking a strategic partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to decentralise its online registration process and enable prospective corps members to complete their enrolment from the comfort of their homes.
The NYSC Director-General, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed this during a visit to the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, at her office in Abuja.
Nafiu explained that the existing registration process had posed challenges for prospective corps members, particularly foreign-trained graduates who are required to travel to Nigeria for registration, as well as locally trained graduates who often spend long hours at designated cybercafés to complete their enrolment.
He said the Scheme was exploring the development of a digital application that would allow prospective corps members to register using their personal devices from any location across the world.
According to him, the major challenge in achieving the initiative is biometric capturing, expressing optimism that NIMC, as the custodian of Nigeria’s national identity database, would provide the necessary support by enabling NYSC to access relevant biometric information.
The NYSC boss said the proposed collaboration was part of the Scheme’s commitment to embracing modern technology, improving operational efficiency and eliminating unnecessary difficulties associated with registration.
He described NIMC as a critical institution in identity and data management, stressing that the partnership would strengthen the verification of prospective corps members and ensure a more reliable registration system.
Nafiu commended the Commission for its efforts towards ensuring that every Nigerian has a verifiable identity and offered NYSC’s support to advance the initiative.
He expressed confidence that the next online registration exercise would be conducted seamlessly, allowing prospective corps members to complete the process without necessarily visiting cybercafés.
He added that access to reliable identity data would also enhance effective planning and contribute to national development.
In her response, the NIMC Director-General, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, pledged the Commission’s full support for the initiative, assuring that it would help create a more convenient digital environment for eligible Nigerian youths.
She disclosed that Nigerians with National Identification Numbers (NIN) who download the NINAuth application would be able to complete their registration processes from the comfort of their homes.
Coker-Odusote further explained that the digital identity platform would support registration and verification processes for major examinations and other services, including the West African Examinations Council (WAEC), Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board (JAMB), National Examinations Council (NECO), NYSC and international travel.
She applauded the NYSC Director-General for his initiatives, empathy and exemplary leadership, while reaffirming NIMC’s commitment to sustaining a cordial and productive working relationship with the Scheme.
Caroline Embu
Director, Information and Public Relations, NYSC.
