Customer Showcase — Data Infosec
We had a chat with Ipadeola Ademola, Senior Manager-Finance & Commercial, Data Infosec Consult Ltd. He spoke to us about digital identity and its role in the company’s operations.
Established in 2015, Data Infosec offers IT consulting services to the private and public sector.
What led to the birth of Data Infosec, and how has the journey been so far?
Data Infosec was born out of the need to create an indigenous IT company that harnesses local talent to produce affordable services with global standards. In the 5 years since the commencement of operations, we have been able to deploy enterprise-level projects that previously would have been only accessible to multinationals. Our unique approach has afforded our clients the benefit of getting 1st class products with great after-service support.
What circumstances led to you choosing VerifyMe as your identity verification partner?
Choosing VerifyMe as our identity verification partner was easy because they have distinguished themselves as industry leaders in that space and were willing to work with us to grow our online job booking and scheduling platform bookme.com.ng.
Which things have changed in your business because of our product/service?
Identity Verification is critical, especially in the digital space; it gives customers the confidence to transact with authenticated third parties. This service has helped increase our enrolment and transaction rates in our bookme.com.ng online job scheduling application.
What are the major challenges for Data Infosec regarding identity in Nigeria, and what role would you say digital identity plays in the innovation happening in your sector?
Some of the significant challenges we face in Nigeria are:
- Lack of a central database of identity where biodata and biometrics of individuals are captured once and used severally by various agencies
- Gaps in the IT legislation in the federating states
- The need to have adequate and affordable internet connectivity to verify identities and transactions in real-time.
As we all know, COVID 19 disrupted 2020. What changes did Data Infosec see and how was the business able to adapt to these changes?
The year 2020, was an interesting one due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it changed the dynamics of digital identity globally. To reduce the virus’ spread, people have had to change their routine and get used to doing their day to day activities online.
For us, the everyday practice of using fingerprints for staff attendance has mostly been suspended, and we have developed a facial recognition alternative for our clients that work onsite and online. Data Infosec has also introduced contactless biometric ID cards with NFC (Near Factor Communications) to mitigate the use of fingerprints for identification.
What would you like to see in the Nigerian identity space in 3 years?
E-Commerce will drive the nation’s growth, and digital identity is going to play a big part in this. E-commerce should be given priority by the government and private sector in the coming years.
With the general elections coming up in 2023, electronic voting using digital identity, such as the National Identity Number (NIN), should also be seriously considered.
We at Data Infosec see a very bright future for digital identity in Nigeria.
