The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced that the new National Identity card is coming as a single, convenient, and General multipurpose card (GMPC), completely eradicating the need for multiple cards.
Kayode Adegoke, the Head of Corporate Communications had on Friday, released a signed statement by the Commission, stating that the single card with GMPC will have multiple use cases as: payments/financial, government intervention/services, travel etc.
This development is coming after the Nigerian government had in the previous week, announced the plan to release new National Identification Number in the country.
According to the National Identity Management Commission, the card development is being overseen by the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System to carryout the payment and financial use cases and it will powered by the AFRIGO card scheme, an indigenous scheme by NIBSS.
The statement read partly:
“Applicants for the card will have to request with their NIN through the self-service online portal, NIMC offices, or their respective banks. The card will be issued through the applicants’ respective banks in line with existing protocols with the issuance of the Debit/Credit cards.“Card-pickup will be at a designated centre or delivered to the applicants at the requested location at an extra cost to be borne by the applicants.”
While the convenience of obtaining the new ID card through banks is ingenious although questionable, the federal government should ensure that the process remains accessible to all citizens, including those in remote or underserved areas.
Usually, when announcements like this are made in Nigeria, it is poorly thought out and badly executed. Adequate infrastructure and support mechanisms are usually not provided and a narrow timeline is given which causes widespread panic, confusion and chaos.
It is essential that a concise guideline and necessary equipment be put in place to facilitate widespread adoption and usage of the GMPC across Nigeria.
