An economist and data analyst,  Daramola Omoyele, has advised the Federal Government to harmonise the multiple identification numbers in operation in the country.

Mr Omoyele, a chartered accountant with a master’s in economics and data Analytics, said this on Sunday during an interview in Abuja.

Mr Omoyele’s spoke on the heels of recent Nigeria Tax Administration Act 2025,  which mandated every taxable Nigerian to acquire a Tax Identification Number (TIN) before operating a bank account from January 2026.

President Bola Tinubu on June 26 signed four tax reform bills into law, which would be effective from January 1, 2026.

The bills are the Nigeria Tax Bill, the Nigeria Tax Administration Bill, the Nigeria Revenue Service (Establishment) Bill, and the Joint Revenue Board (Establishment) Bill.

Mr Omoyele said as a chartered accountant with a background in economics and data analytics, he understood that the motive behind the reform was to expand Nigeria tax base and strengthening compliance.

He  further confirmed that Nigeria’s tax-to-Gross Domestic Product (GDP) ratio was one of the lowest in Africa, making the push for non-oil revenue crucial.

However, he stressed that while the intention of the new law was good, it may create confusion among citizens who were already concerned about the burden of too many identification systems.

He noted that at the moment, Nigerians were already burdened with many identity numbers including Bank Verification Number (BVN) for banking, National Identity Number (NIN) for national identification, and now TIN for taxes.

“Others identification numbers already in existence according to him are account numbers, voter card, passport number, driving license, and Subscriber Identity Module (SIM) registration details.

“Nigeria needs single and unified identification system, not multiple,” he said.

Mr Omoyele said rather than simplifying the identification system, each agency had continued to build its own system, forcing citizens to juggle multiple numbers, with little coordination across databases.

He questioned  the creation of  extra  indentation number for tax when Nigerians already have their BVN and NIN.

“The irony is that Nigeria already has the building blocks of a single digital identity;

“The NIN, meant to be the master ID for all citizens.

“The BVN, which has already captured biometric and financial data for millions of bank customers.

“Instead of harmonising, the new TIN requirement introduces another barrier for millions of unbanked Nigerians—currently about 38 million adults—these risks deepening financial exclusion rather than solving it,” he said.

Mr Omoyele advised Nigeria to emulate other countries who operate a harmonised data-based system, citing India’s Aadhaar number being used across taxation, banking, telecoms, and social benefits.

He said, “South Africa’s national ID works seamlessly across voting, banking, and taxation. The UK’s National Insurance Number doubles for tax and employment. Nigeria can and should do the same. The NIN should be the universal identity number, with BVN, TIN, and other records linked to it at the backend.”

The expert warned that without the harmonisation of identification system Nigeria would face challenges exclusion of more citizens from banking and financial services.

Other barriers that would be encountered, according to him include inconsistent records across multiple systems, and waste of resources, including billions of Naira spent on maintaining overlapping databases.

The data analyst added that multiple identification system would also  reduce trust among citizens, saying citizens who were already fatigued by endless registrations may lose faith in government initiatives.

Mr Omoyele stated  “Nigeria must stop building silos and start building systems that talk to each other. One number is enough. If the NIN becomes the central identity, linked seamlessly with tax, banking, telecoms, and other services, citizens will enjoy simpler, cheaper, and more reliable access to government and financial services.

“The new TIN law is well-intentioned, but it risks is worsening an already messy identification system. Nigeria should prioritise data harmonisation over multiplication. As a nation, we don’t need five or six different numbers to prove who we are. We need just one—and we already have it in the NIN.”

 (NAN)