By Nkechi Eze
The National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) has moved to eliminate the pressure associated with online registration at designated cybercafés, seeking a partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to enable prospective corps members to complete their registration from the comfort of their homes.
The Director-General of NYSC, Brigadier General Olakunle Nafiu, disclosed this during a visit to the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, at her office in Abuja.
According to an official statement signed by the Director of Information and Public Relations, Caroline Embu, Nafiu said the proposed collaboration would simplify the registration process, address existing challenges and make the exercise more accessible to prospective corps members, including foreign-trained graduates.
He explained that the current registration arrangement had attracted complaints from prospective corps members, who often spend unnecessarily long hours at designated cybercafés to complete their online enrolment, while foreign-trained graduates are required to travel to Nigeria for registration.
The NYSC chief executive disclosed that the Scheme was working towards developing an application that would allow prospective corps members to register using their personal devices, irrespective of their location across the world.
He, however, identified biometric capturing as a major challenge to achieving the initiative, expressing optimism that NIMC would provide the necessary technical support by enabling the Scheme to access relevant biometric information from its database.
Nafiu described NIMC as a leading institution in identity and data management, noting that its collaboration with NYSC would strengthen identity verification and improve the efficiency of the mobilisation and registration process.
He reaffirmed the Scheme’s commitment to embracing emerging technologies to modernise its operations and enhance service delivery, while commending NIMC for its efforts towards ensuring that every Nigerian has a verifiable identity.
The NYSC boss also offered the Scheme’s support towards advancing the Commission’s national identity registration drive, expressing confidence that the proposed collaboration would make the next online registration exercise seamless and enable prospective corps members to enrol without the inconvenience of visiting cybercafés.
Responding, Coker-Odusote pledged NIMC’s support for the initiative, assuring the NYSC leadership of the Commission’s commitment to providing a conducive digital environment for eligible Nigerian youths to access registration services.
She explained that NIN holders who download the NINAuth application would be able to complete their registration processes from the comfort of their homes.
The NIMC chief executive further disclosed that the digital identity platform would support registration and verification for examinations and other services, including WAEC, JAMB, NECO, NYSC and international travel.
She commended Nafiu for his initiatives, empathy and leadership, assuring him of NIMC’s commitment to sustaining a cordial and productive working relationship with the Scheme.
