NIMC Rolls Out Paid National ID Cards To Boost Accessibility And Security

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced that Nigerians will be required to pay for the newly introduced multipurpose national identity cards...READ MORE….

due to limited government funding.

Peter Iwegbu, head of card management services at NIMC, made this disclosure during a two-day press briefing in Lagos on Thursday. He explained that the decision to introduce a payment model was necessary to ensure that only those who genuinely need the cards will apply, avoiding the inefficiencies of previous initiatives where free physical cards were issued but remained largely uncollected.

Iwegbu stated that the paid model would help streamline production and distribution, optimizing the use of available resources. The new national ID cards will serve multiple functions, including identity verification, financial transactions, and accessing government services.

He noted, “Before funding issues halted production, we had produced over two million cards, but many remained uncollected because people didn’t need them.” The decision to charge for the cards also reflects the government’s budget constraints.

NIMC is collaborating with banks nationwide, allowing Nigerians to request their cards at any local bank branch. Lanre Yusuf, the NIMC’s director of information technology, explained that the previous free model had not been successful.

The new ID card system is described as post-paid, meaning individuals must have a genuine need for the card before applying for it. Yusuf assured that the government has measures in place to assist less privileged Nigerians who require the card to access social support services.

The multipurpose ID cards, which are set to launch soon, have already undergone testing, with sample cards distributed. These new cards will serve a variety of purposes, from identity verification to enabling payments and accessing government services.

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