Microsoft Lauds Nigeria Digital ID4D Project

Posted by Eric Ojo Latest Headlines, News Across Nigeria Friday, August 12th, 2022

(AFRICAN EXAMINER) – American multinational technology company, Microsoft Corporation has lauded the Nigeria Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) for its timely intervention in the areas of data protection and digital identity in Nigeria.

The ID4D is a Nigerian project, jointly funded by the World Bank, European Investment Bank and French Development Agency.

Microsoft’s Government Affairs Lead, Nonye Ujam gave the commendation during a working visit to the Nigeria ID4D project office in Abuja on Wednesday.

Ujam also assured the management of ID4D of the readiness of Microsoft to collaborate with the project in order to be part of its success story.

“We are here to ensure that we support you to make things work very well. We are happy with the achievements Nigeria ID4D has recorded in such a short period”, she said.

According to her, Microsoft Corporation has made a lot of investments and interventions in capacity development and cyber security.

“Beyond supporting governments in the area of capacity development, Microsoft meets their stakeholders where they are, hand-hold and close identified gaps. As people are working hard to upgrade and update themselves, that is how hard the bad players are working to update their skills. This is why we must take data protection and cyber security very seriously”, she added.

In his response, the Project Coordinator of ID4D, Musa Odole Solomon also expressed the readiness of the project to partner with Microsoft.

“We are open to collaborating with as many relevant stakeholders as possible to ensure that the project succeeds. We want the capacity of ecosystem implementing partners enhanced”, he stressed.

Solomon noted that the project is working very hard to ensure that a principal law is in place to enhance and strengthen data protection in the country.

“We are constrained by time, considering the fact that elections are close. We are battling to ensure that we balance the urgency with quality. It will not just be done quickly, but also done very well. Stakeholders engagement is an ongoing activity and Microsoft is our major stakeholder. We are ready and willing to work with you.

“We are happy with your interest in capacity development. We operate an ecosystem model and our implementing partners need to benefit from the capacity building plans. It is one of our deliverables and we are willing to partner with Microsoft to close gaps in capacity”, he further stated

He used the occasion to call on Microsoft Corporation to consider extending support to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and other ecosystem implementing partners.

The coordinator also extended invitation to Microsoft for participation in the second leg of Focus Group Discussion on Nigeria’s Data Protection law, scheduled to hold at Lagos on the 1st of September, 2022

Part of the activities lined up for the Lagos engagement is a courtesy call on the leadership of Microsoft Corporation in Nigeria. Conversations will center around data protection, capacity development and other areas of collaboration.

On the project coordinator’s team that received Ujam were the Internal and external communications Managers of the project, Dr. Walter Duru and Mouktar Adamu.