Nigeria's NIN Database Access Restricted Following Data Breach.

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has taken swift action in response to a data breach affecting the National Identification Number (NIN) database. This comes after revelations from an investigation by the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC), which uncovered unauthorized access to NINs and personal information on a private website, expressverify.com.

The NDPC's investigation suggests that a third party, initially authorized for verification services, may have allowed expressverify.com access to NIN verification credentials. Consequently, NIMC has limited access to the database, pending further investigation into how these credentials were acquired and the legal responsibilities involved.

According to LEADERSHIP, to address the breach, NIMC has initiated intensive training to ensure compliance with data protection regulations and privacy policies. Limited database access has been granted to select establishments providing essential public services like education and security.

Emphasizing the importance of NIN data for sustainable development, NDPC urges citizens to ensure their identification across various frameworks. NIMC reassures the public of reinforced organizational and technical measures to safeguard data integrity.