NIMC To Roll Out Multipurpose Biometric ID Card
A better multi-purpose biometric identity card will soon be available from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).  ,
Dr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, the NIMC’s director general and chief executive officer, said the move is being coordinated with the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System (NIBSS).
The briefing was attended by the Managing Director/CEO of Nigerian Interbank Settlement System, Mr Premier Oiwoh, the Managing Director/CEO of AfriGO, Ebehije Momoh and the Managing Director of Data Mining Company, Femi Akande.
With the payment options and identity as a foundation, Coker-Odusote claimed that the new card program is intended to address multiple use cases of federal government and private sector interventions. It is also intended to address social and economic issues in the nation.
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She said: “The key features of this card, are the biometric, based on the fingerprint, which is the only one that is currently unique, the card has a long validity period because it’s also fully KYC enabled, it has an offline and online capability, which means in locations where there are limited access to internet, this card will still work and be used for those services that it’s designed to achieve.
And it also contains some banking information that makes it possible for the holder to use an ENV-enabled card for everything else that can be done with a card. It can also be met out with cash, digital tokens, wallet, and email.
The card offers “on the back” additional features that allow Nigerians and those with access to them to immediately demonstrate their identity whenever they are required to do so.
The new multi-tasking card, according to the NIMC CEO, also facilitates citizens’ participation in the country’s social and economic activities.
She noted that the government and its agencies, as well as the private sectors, are currently required to be able to identify individuals who are providing such services in a very secure and verifiable manner, thanks to the second program of the card, the Government of People card, G2P.
This is anticipated to address issues with identifying those who participate in government intervention programs.
She assured me that the card would be made available to Nigerians for an affordable price, adding that the newly developed biometric card was created to help 133 million people in Nigeria get out of poverty and provide seamless services.
Speaking on the collaboration with NIBSS, Oiwoh said: “You know, as NIBSS, we have the interoperability arrangement, we have a lot of financial data in terms of payment, and so where we come in here is, since , AfriGo is owned by NIBSS 100%, on behalf of all the commercial banks and the , Central Bank,  , we felt it was necessary that as a Nigerian company that has been there for over 32 years, now betting a card payment rail that would work proudly with NIBSS to provide those rails through Afrigo and other payment schemes. For instance, the NQR, which is on the card, is also riding on the NIBSS rail.
” With your fingerprints, you can authenticate transactions, but also, if you don’t remember your account number, just present the card, and then you can scan the QR code, and the account number, and you can do whatever you want to do, by just talking to whoever has scanned your card, and then you can also authenticate that.
Therefore, those are the areas that NIBSS advises in terms of payment details and guides to make sure that Nigerians are excited and benefit fully from what is happening to date.
Providing an overview of the project, the Director of Card Management team, Dr Peter Iwegbu, said in terms of benefit to the citizens, the card will provide instant evidential identification, it’s a 3-in-1 card, access to government services, self-identification of yourself, and access to financial transactions.
Without having to wait for any electronic devices, the card also gives users the ability to track their movements, identify them, and verify them.
Source: Channels TV
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