*Kogi Children Embark on Journey to Citizenship as NAPI Flags Off NIN Enrollment*

By Our Reporter. 

The Nigeria Agricultural Payment Initiative (NAPI) has launched an initiative to enroll children in Kogi State into the National Identity Database and issue unique identification numbers (NIN) to each child. Speaking at the ceremony, Kogi State Commissioner for Livestock Development, Dr. Olufemi Bolarin, described the program as a dream come true, enabling children to take possession of their country.

"We cannot take possession of our country until we are citizens, and what makes us citizens? We must have that unique identification number. Everywhere all over the world, they have it, so why is Nigeria different?" Dr. Bolarin emphasized the importance of citizenship and identity, highlighting that the enrollment will enable the government to have details of every citizen and serve as a source of planning.

The Commissioner noted that the move will reduce insecurity to the barest minimum and encouraged the children to ensure they enroll to take their country back along the route of prosperity, food production, development, and infrastructure growth. "This is a lofty idea, and we must support it to ensure our children's future is bright," Dr. Bolarin added.

The Director, Information Technology and Services, Pomade Consulting Limited, in partnership with the National Identity Management Commission, Mr. Alphons Orinya, assured that the enrollers have been properly trained to avoid errors in registering. "One of the biggest mistakes we've discovered from the database is that some people's names are not correctly spelled, and they end up spending money to do modifications. Some people's dates of birth are not accurately captured, and they have issues when they go for employment or admission. Here, we will ensure that our personnel do an excellent job."

Mr. Alphons noted that the process is free of charge and will focus primarily on children. He called on parents to support the enrollers with accurate data about their children for the program's success.

The Chief Executive Officer of NAPI Technologies Limited, Mr. Okeme Alfred, said the agency has been licensed by the National Identity Management Commission to conduct NIN enrollment services nationwide. The focus is on enrolling all children in public and private primary and secondary schools in Kogi State into the National Identity Database and issuing unique identification numbers to each child.

In goodwill messages, various stakeholders, including the Representative of Kogi NIMC, the DPO of Lokongoma Division, Person's with Disability representative, Traditional Rulers, and Muslim Community Secondary School, appealed to the government to use the program for the benefit of the common people.

Schools that participated in the flag-off ceremony included LGEA Lokongoma and Muslim Community Secondary School Lokongoma, among others. This initiative marks a significant step towards ensuring that Kogi State's children are registered and have access to the benefits and opportunities that come with citizenship.

Hassan Abubàkar -Editor.