Nigerians will begin to use the proposed multipurpose identity card in August 2024, the National Identity Management Commission (NICM) has confirmed.
It said the single multipurpose card combining multiple functions of identity, financial, and social services will be made available to citizens across the country by August this year.
The PUNCH reports that a high-ranking member of the implementation team, who asked not to be named, disclosed the new information during an exclusive interview on Friday.
The official stated that the commission had been working tirelessly to meet its goals, adding that the plan remains on track and would be launched in the upcoming months.
He also disclosed that the commission has begun the testing and deployment stage.
The official said, “We actually plan for July, although there have been a few delays, but we are still hopeful that it would come in July. So we are hoping to get it done between July and August. We are still on plan, and if there is any shift, the public will know.”
The official added, “When you are deploying a new technology, there is a lot of work to be done, you need to configure the card, enable the outlet, and enable the wallet to work. We also have to do tests, and that is what is ongoing.
“The deployment is ongoing, the portal that people need to access the service has to be deployed, and we have to make sure that it is scaleable and those are the ongoing works.
“There are integrations that all the banks need to do to enable the card, and all of those little details are ongoing. We have that target, and we are working extra hard to make sure that we achieve that.”
REPORTERS AT LARGE earlier reported that on Friday, April 5, 2024, the NIMC announced that it had launched a new card layered with payment capabilities and social service features in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigeria Inter-bank Settlement System.
It explained that the identity solution was equipped with payment capability for all types of social and financial services.
According to a statement issued, the initiative represents a collaborative effort to offer increased options for domestic consumers while fostering the delivery of services in a more innovative, cost-effective, and competitive manner.
The identity cards will include a bank-enabled National ID card, a social intervention card, and an optional ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card.
