The Director General, National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Aliyu Abubakar said over 100 million Nigerians have no official identity.

The DG made this known on Monday in Kaduna, in a paper on Importance of National Identity to Nation Building, presented during the 6th General Assembly of Northern Traditional Rulers Council.

According to him, those with no identity comprised the poorest most vulnerable groups, including women and girls and less educated people among others.

He explained that inclusive and trusted identity system can help in empowering individuals and enhance their access to rights, services and formal economy.

Abubakar added that it would also assist in generating reliable and continuous statistics to measure progress, support informed policies and enable the growth of digital economy.

Another presentation on “Northern Youths and the Challenges of Drug Abuse in Nigeria”, by the Chief Executive Officer, National Drug Law Enforcement Agency (NDLEA), Col. Muhammad Abdullahi (rtd), noted that the future of the youth in Northern Nigeria was being threatened by the flow of illicit drugs.

He lamented that the positive support, dedication, integrity and leadership that the region expected from the youths has vanished, as large part of the youth population have resorted to the use of hard drugs.

Abdullahi called for massive education and enlightenment campaign across the country on the dangers of illicit drugs use, noting that ignorance and lack of adequate knowledge were partly responsible for drug abuse.(NAN)