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The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced that Nigerians will have to pay for the new multipurpose national identity card, citing limited government revenue as a major factor in the decision.
This development was made public by Dr. Peter Iwegbu, Head of Card Management Services at NIMC, during a two-day roundtable organized for journalists in Lagos, on Friday.
According to Iwegbu, the payment is necessary to ensure that the ID cards are produced only for those who genuinely need them. This decision is a departure from previous efforts to issue physical cards to Nigerians for free, which many did not collect.
Iwegbu revealed that over two million cards were produced in a previous attempt, but many of them remain uncollected to date.
“The government’s limited revenue is also a major factor in the decision to make Nigerians pay for the new ID card,” Iwegbu explained. He emphasized that the government cannot fund the production of ID cards due to limited revenue.
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Mr. Lanre Yusuf, Director of Information Technology at NIMC, also weighed in on the issue. He described the new ID card as a post-paid identity card, which means that individuals must need the card before initiating a request for it. “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,” Yusuf said.
Yusuf noted that the government has implemented programs to make the card accessible to 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,” he added.
The multipurpose ID cards are expected to launch soon, with sample test cards already received. Yusuf revealed that the NIMC has partnered with banks to enable Nigerians to request and collect their cards from any bank branch, facilitating a seamless experience.
“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,” Yusuf said. “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 the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigeria Interbank Settlement System. It will be enabled for all government interventions and services across multiple Ministries, Departments, and Agencies.
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