The Federal Government has expressed concern that most individuals tarnishing the country’s image abroad are foreigners holding Nigerian identities.

To combat this, the government plans to harmonize its citizenship database for effective identity management.
The Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, emphasized the importance of individual and corporate identity management to prevent identity fraud and multiple account operations.

He noted that Nigeria will soon launch the “Centralized Citizens Integrity and Document Authentication System” to verify identities in real-time globally.

This move aims to boost the fight against money laundering and terrorism financing in Nigeria and West Africa. The Director of the Nigerian Financial Intelligence Unit, Mrs. Hafsat Bakari, highlighted the significance of tracing funds enabling terrorist activities.

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The Inter-Governmental Action Group Against Money Laundering in West Africa (GIABA) is supporting countries in the region to strengthen their capacity to combat money laundering and terrorism financing. GIABA’s Director-General, Mr. Edwin W. Harris Jr., reaffirmed the organization’s commitment to this cause.
Key measures to be implemented include:
Harmonizing Citizenship Database: Ensuring easy verification of Nigerian identities worldwide
Preventing Identity Fraud: Eliminating multiple account operations and identity discrepancies;
Real-time Verification: Implementing the Centralized Citizens Integrity and Document Authentication System
Regional Cooperation: Collaborating with ECOWAS and AU to combat terrorism financing.
These efforts aim to protect Nigeria’s image and contribute to regional security