The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced that date of birth modifications on the National Identification Number (NIN) database will be free of charge if the error was made by the commission's enrollment staff.
Free Changes for Errors
NIMC clarified that the new fee for modifying date of birth in the NIN database, recently increased by 75% to N28,574, will be waived if the correction error is attributed to an enrollment officer. A statement from NIMC's head of legal department, Festus Esangbedo, emphasized that such modifications will be done free of charge.
NIMC's Response to DPLAN's Demands
The commission responded to the demands of the Data Privacy Lawyers Association (DPLAN), which insisted on compliance with Nigerian data protection laws regarding DOB modification fees. NIMC stated that when errors are made due to the commission's fault or by an enrollment agent, necessary modifications will be free of charge. "The fees represent legitimate charges for modification services, not error corrections," the commission stated.
Changes in Data Modification Fees
Earlier in May, NIMC increased the NIN DOB modification fee to N28,750 from N16,340. Additionally, there was a 31% increment on other field modifications, such as names, addresses, and phone numbers, which now cost N2,000 per transaction. While enrollment and issuance of the NIN slip is free, re-issuance of the NIN slip now costs N600, up from N500.
NIMC's new policy regarding free modifications underscores the importance of complying with data protection laws, ensuring that citizens can rectify errors not caused by their actions.
