National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has said Nigerians will pay for the new multipurpose national identity card due to limited government revenue.
Gatekeepers News reports that Head of Card Management Services at NIMC, Dr Peter Iwegbu said this at a two-day roundtable organised for journalists on Friday in Lagos.
Iwegbu said that the payment was to ensure that it was produced for only those who needed it.
He said the decision was made to avoid repeating the past mistake of issuing physical cards to Nigerians for free, which many people did not collect.
Iwegbu stressed that over two million cards were produced in a previous attempt to issue free National ID cards by the NIMC, but many of them had not been collected to date.
He said, “The government’s limited revenue is also a major factor in the decision to make Nigerians pay for the new ID card.”
Iwegbu noted that the government could not fund the production of ID cards due to limited revenue.
Director of Information Technology at NIMC, Mr Lanre Yusuf also said the idea of a free national ID card did not turn out well in the past.
Yusuf described the new ID card as a post-paid identity card, meaning that individuals must need the card before initiating a request for it.
He said, “To get the new national ID card, Nigerians will need to make a payment, select a pickup location, and then collect their card from the chosen location.”
“The government has implemented programmes to make the card accessible to the less privileged Nigerians who cannot afford it but require it to access government support.”
“This initiative demonstrates the government’s commitment to inclusivity and equality.”
The director noted that the multipurpose ID cards were expected to launch soon, with sample test cards already received.
Yusuf said NIMC had partnered with banks for Nigerians to request and collect their cards from any bank branch to facilitate a seamless experience.
He said, “NIMC is working with banks across the country, which will make it possible for people to walk into any bank closest to them and request the card.”
“The new national ID card is a multipurpose card that can serve the purpose of identity verification, payments, and even government services.”
The card, powered by AfriGO, was launched in partnership with Central Bank of Nigeria and Nigeria Interbank Settlement System.
The card will be enabled for all government interventions and services across multiple Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
