The Benue State office of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) marked the 2025 Children’s Day on Tuesday in a unique way by setting up a registration center at the Ibrahim Badamosi Babangida (IBB) Square, the venue of the celebration, to enroll children in the national identity database.
According to the Benue State Coordinator of NIMC, Giwewhegbe Magdalene K, the decision to celebrate the day in this manner was to emphasize the importance of National Identification Number (NIN) enrollment for children from a young age.
“NIN is essential for every aspect of a child’s life, from school registration to healthcare and other needs,” she explained. “We want to manage a child’s identity from childhood, and we’re sensitizing parents on the use of NIN.”
She dispelled the notion that NIN has age restrictions, stating, “There are no age restrictions. We register from the cradle. We make sure everybody is involved and taken care of.”
The only requirement, she noted, is that children under 16 years old need a parent’s or guardian’s NIN to link the minor’s identity.
The NIMC Coordinator emphasized the significance of NIN enrollment, citing its necessity for school registration, citizenship recognition, security checks, and numerous other purposes.
She announced that the commission intends to continue outreach programs to capture more children.
On the challenges facing the organization, she said, “We’ve been crying out for collaboration. We need all stakeholders, including the media, government, traditional leaders, churches, and mosques, to work together to ensure everyone is registered.”
She urged the public to take advantage of NIMC’s presence in all 23 local government areas of Benue State and the state office to secure their children’s future.
During the celebration, a total of 35 children were captured.
