A high-level Nigerian delegation led by key officials of the Senate Committee on Population and National Identity is currently participating in the ongoing ID4Africa 2025 Conference, holding in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia from May 20 to 23.
Prominent members of the delegation include Senator Otunba Engr. Gbenga Daniel, the Vice Chairman of the Senate Committee on National Population and National Identity; Senator Victor Umeh, Chairman of the Committee; Hon. Sabi Aliyu Abdullahi, the Honourable Minister of State for Agriculture and Food Security; Dr. Nasir Isa Kwarra, Chairman of the National Population Commission; Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC); and Hon. Jimi Odimayo, the House Committee Chairman on Population and National Identity, among other dignitaries.
The delegation is attending a series of sessions, discussions, and networking engagements focused on advancing inclusive digital identity frameworks for development across the African continent. The conference, themed around identity for development, draws stakeholders from government, private sector, and civil society, aiming to improve identity ecosystems and promote digital public infrastructure across Africa.
Nigeria’s participation underscores the nation’s commitment to leveraging digital identity for effective governance, population management, social inclusion, and economic planning.
Speaking on the sidelines of the event, Senator Gbenga Daniel emphasized the importance of identity management in national development, describing it as a critical tool for policy planning, service delivery, and security.
The Nigerian delegation’s presence at ID4Africa 2025 is expected to deepen collaborations with international partners and fast-track national reforms in the identity management and population data sectors.
Fresh concerns have emerged over compliance with a court order issued by the High Court of Kano State on April 8, 2026, restraining key parties—including the Honourable Minister of Education, the Kano State Ministry of Land and Physical Planning, the Kano State Urban Development Authority, and Pluck Global Company Limited—from further actions pending the determination of the matter before the court.
Findings indicate that while all parties—except the concessionaire, Pluck Global Company Limited—were duly served within two days of the order, significant challenges were encountered in effecting service on the company, raising troubling questions about its corporate traceability and regulatory vetting.
A review of the company’s records filed with the Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) revealed addresses that could not be verified as functional business locations. Notably, documentation submitted to Federal Government College (FGC), Kano, dated June 20, 2024, listed two addresses: 8B, Lalupon Street, off Keffi Street, off Awolowo Road, Ikoyi, Lagos, as its head office, and 3 Bargery Road, Bompai, Kano, as its branch office.
However, a physical visit to the Ikoyi address revealed that the entire property is occupied by a company identified as Golden Alchemy, whose staff категорically denied any knowledge of, or shared occupancy with, Pluck Global Company Limited.
Efforts to trace the Kano address yielded even more unsettling findings. The location—a locked duplex—showed no visible signs of commercial activity. Neighbours, while reluctant to speak on record, alluded to irregular movements at odd hours, casting further doubt on the legitimacy of the premises as a corporate office.
In a twist, after multiple attempts to establish contact, an individual purportedly representing the company surfaced in Kano and agreed to receive and acknowledge the court order on April 11, 2026, at approximately 6:00 pm. Curiously, the Ikoyi address—already discredited—was again listed as the company’s official address in the acknowledgment.
These developments raise critical questions regarding due diligence and Know Your Customer (KYC) protocols on the part of the Federal Ministry of Education. They also cast a spotlight on the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission (ICRC), should a concession agreement indeed have been executed with the company. Stakeholders say it would be instructive to review the addresses contained in all official correspondences and contractual documents linked to the transaction.
Meanwhile, a visit to the premises of Federal Government College, Kano, revealed ongoing construction activity, with workers observed excavating foundations. When approached, the workers declined to disclose the authority under which they were operating—despite the subsistence of a court order restraining further action.
Notably, a previously installed project billboard bearing the insignia of the school authorities and the Federal Ministry of Education had been removed. Sources within the institution suggest that the directive for its removal may have emanated from the Ministry following receipt of the court order.
The unfolding situation presents a complex mix of legal, regulatory, and accountability issues—raising the spectre of possible non-compliance with judicial directives, as well as deeper concerns about transparency in public-private concession arrangements.
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