The Nation Newspaper

Tag: national ID card

  • Seven facts about proposed new multipurpose national ID card

    Seven facts about proposed new multipurpose national ID card

    The Federal Government through the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has revealed seven facts about the newly proposed multipurpose card.

    These key features of the new card were posted on the official X page of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

    The proposed new national identity card has additional features that distinguish it from the National Identification Number (NIN) that many Nigerians currently have.

    Read Also: NIMC clarifies position on new National ID card

    Here are some of the seven key facts about the new multipurpose card:

    1. The new National ID card is a single, convenient and General multipurpose card (GMPC), eliminating the need for multiple cards.
    2. The single GMPC has multiple use cases: Payments/Financial, Government intervention/services, travel, etc.
    3. NIMC is working with the Central Bank of Nigeria(CBN) and the Nigeria Inter-bank settlement system to deliver the payment and financial use cases.
    4. The card will be powered by the AFRIGO card scheme, an indigenous scheme powered by NIBSS (Nigeria Inter-bank settlement system)
    5. Applicants for the card will have to request with their NIN through the self-service online portal, NIMC offices, or their respective banks.
    6. The card will be issued through the applicants’ respective banks in line with existing protocols with the issuance of the Debit/Credit cards.
    7. The card can be picked up by holders at the designated center or delivered to the applicants at the requested locations at an extra cost to be borne by the applicants.
  • Register for national ID card, governor tells Lagos residents

    Register for national ID card, governor tells Lagos residents

    Lagos State Governor Akinwunmi Ambode has urged residents to register for the national identity card.

    The governor said it was important for residents to register for the scheme because it would scale up data planning and financial planning as well as boost delivery of democratic dividends to the people.

    Ambode spoke yesterday at Lagos House in Ikeja, the capital, after registering for the scheme.

    He said: “I have just finished registering myself as a very proud Nigerian. I am very proud to hold this identity card. I also urge all Lagosians to do the same. We are proudly Lagosians and we are very proud Nigerians.

    “I urge every Lagosian to come out and get their national identity cards. It is in our best interest; it is also good for data planning and financial planning for all the things that we are trying to deliver to our people.

    “So, I urge everyone to come out and register.”

    NIMC’s Regional Coordinator for Lagos, Mr Kayode Adegoke, hailed Ambode for leading the registration and for his administration’s massive infrastructural development across the state.

    Adegoke, who presented the transaction slip confirming the governor’s enrolment into the national identity database, said the NIMC was proud to be associated with the state government to deliver on the scheme.

     

  • National ID card to compliment voter’s card – Buhari

    National ID card to compliment voter’s card – Buhari

    President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday said the national identity card will compliment the permanent voter’s card in future elections in the country.

    Buhari made the remark after he was registered for his national identity card by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.

    According to him, the project will go a long way to confirm Nigeria’s population.

    Buhari said: “I think this exercise is very important to confirm our population and those who are entitled to vote, that is those who are 18 years and above. It will complement the permanent voters’ card.

    “So for those who want their votes to count from whichever party or constituency, they should ensure that they and their families are properly captured.”

    The Director General of NIMC, Chris Onyemenam, said the exercise is not a one off thing and has no time limit.

    He said: “It is a continuous exercise. So every enrollment centre that we have established remain open forever, they are like banks’ branches.

    “We are taking deliberate steps to ensure that enrollment centres are opened in each local government. In collaboration with MDAs, we are now extending it to universities. It will also be extended to primary schools and hospitals.

    “With the cooperation we expect from INEC, we are meeting INEC today, it will be extended even further.

    “Because of the records of births and deaths that are the primary responsibility of the Nigerian Population Commission, it will even become wider because there are more centres for the registration of births and deaths.

    “Once a centre is established, it remains there and people can go there and enroll at their convenient time. They will do the pre-enrollment first before going to any centre for the biometric data capture.”

     

  • National ID card scheme hits the rock again?

    Fashioning an identity card for the citizens of this country must be some sort of adventure in the land of no return. Even the first trip to the moon could not have been more troublous. No fewer than three previous times have Nigerian governments tried to identify her citizens but all such attempts have been botched after huge contracts had been awarded.

    When a highly regarded professional, Mr. Chris Onyemenam was appointed a few years ago to initiate another national identity gamut, we thought the time was now to kill the serpent; what with today’s vastly improved technology. But we may have rejoiced too soon. After about three years, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) is troubled once again. Since roll out was announced with fanfare over a year ago, nothing more is heard. I don’t know anyone I know who has the National ID.

    Recently, the major contractor/technical partners of NIMC had to send a long, open letter to the president through several national newspapers. Writing to the president through an open forum means that all other channels of engagement had broken down. It also means going to the court of public opinion.

    This is indeed a shame. This scheme failed in the First Republic, the Second Republic, and in Obasanjo’s era. The contractors cry of bad faith; we urge NIMC to seek mediation and ensure utmost integrity in their processes. That is the least we expect for our generation has a point to prove that we can succeed where our fathers failed. The ID scheme is too crucial not to be up and running in this age. We expect a lot more from Chris.

  • National ID card will boost security – IBB

    National ID card will boost security – IBB

    Former military president, Ibrahim Babangida, on Tuesday said the issuance of national identity card by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) will go a long way in improving the nation’s security initiatives.

    He stated this on Tuesday after collecting a copy of his own identity card from the Director General of NIMC, Barrister Chris Onyemenam, at his Uphill residence in Minna, Niger State.

    Babangida, who said he was proud to be a Nigerian citizen after collecting the card, said the national identity card scheme would surely help ease and regulate our activities.
    “I am proud I have this one while I am still alive, please keep it up. And for those who have not succeeded in enrolling, try to make sure you do it fast.

    “I think if there is something one should be very proud of, that is being a citizen. If there is something that confirms you as a citizen then it is something to be proud of,” Babangida stated.

    The former president advised Nigerians to ensure they register and get their identity cards.

    Earlier, Onyemenam said over six million cards are ready for distribution as the scheme enters the distribution stage.

    “We have started distribution of the cards to Nigerians nationwide. We started with Abuja, Lagos and Rivers States. All Nigerians that have enrolled will get their cards before April.”

     

  • NIMC urges national ID card as travel document

    The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) is pushing for the use of the new National e-ID Card as a valid travel document.

    This as an alternative to the international passport for certain types of travels.

    The new National eID Card issued to Nigerians on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria is a bona fide Machine Readable Travel Document (MRTD), recognised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO).

    Its Head, Card Management Services, Mr. Tunji Durodola, explained that the back of the NIMC e-ID Card contains three lines called Machine Readable Zone (MRZ) lines just like the Passport and the same as other national identity cards that have ICAO support. Its development was as a result of NIMC’s conformance to the ICAO Document 9303 parts 1 and 2. rigorous testing by international testing agencies ensured that the contents of the chip meet or exceed the standards set by the internationally recognised body.

    The first generation of cards have the smartcard chip, but future generations will be dual-interface (chip and contactless) for a truly robust solution.

    But for other countries to recognise the use of the National e-ID card for cross-border travel, its usage must be included a bilateral agreement among countries that partner with Nigeria and this agreement must be recognised by the countries’ immigration and border control agencies, and such countries must have inspection devices that can read the cards, which most currently do.

    For this to work NIMC, the Federal Ministries of Aviation, Foreign Affairs and the Nigeria Immigration Service must have to sit down and agree on the process. Also, it is not certain if countries would be willing to work with Nigeria, which seems to be ahead of many other nations on the e-ID card programme. NIMC is confident that with time, the International Community will build confidence in the authenticity of the card and the robust security features built into it.

    Durodola also explained that Nigeria had to apply for an Object Identifier (OID), a pre-requisite for what is known as a document signer (DS), which in turn establishes the authenticity of the data contained on the chip as being authentic and not counterfeit. “The national identity card is also a travel document and conforms to the same standards (ICAO 9303 Rev 2) as international passports and national identity cards of other nations which have TD1 functionality built in. It is hoped that the document will be used for ECOWAS (Economic Community of West African States) travel (without the need for a passport), as the data on the chip cannot be forged. NIMC has its own  DS, a significant component of the Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), on behalf of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.”