Popular riding app, Bolt has announced that it will be launching a NIN verification system for its riders in the new year (2024). This new development was announced by the Country Manager, Yahaya Mohammed at a media parley held at Bolt’s new office and Driver Engagement Centre, in Lagos.
Mohammed further stated that Bolt will launch selfie verification for drivers operating on the platform. And added that these new features are part of the necessary steps the company is taking to ensure drivers’ and passengers safety whilst using the app.
In his words, “In terms of major plans for 2024, we are looking to rider verifications to ensure that we also know who our riders are and authenticate anybody who is registering on the platform. This year we focused on verifying our drivers, making sure to know who they are. Next year will be about knowing who our riders are and making sure the platform is safe for both our riders and drivers,”.
One key takeaway was that Bolt is not going to store users’ data since the National Identification Number (NIN) is simply for verifying its riders instantly. Senior Public Policy Manager for West Africa, North Africa, and Central Africa, Weyinmi Aghadiuno, while talking about data protection and privacy, made it clear that Bolt has its Data Processing Officers (DPO) as well as its Data Protection Certificate issued by NITDA.
Her words were, “We are going to be crosschecking just to ensure that this number actually matches the user so that we are certain about who is being carried in the car. So, if there is any issue, we can now provide robust information to the police for any interrogation they may want to carry out,”.
