Yet Another National I.D Card Scheme

07 Jun 2011
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The Federal Government has again announced plans to commence registration for a biometric identity cards for Nigeria. A major component of the scheme is the establishment of the national identity register, a centralized database of personal information. Each Nigerian registered will be issued a national identification number with nine digits which will be unique to him.

Mr. Chris Onyemenam, the Director General of National Identity Management Commission, the managing agency, said the national identification number would be the basis with which citizens shall interact with the federal, state or local government before services can be rendered. We commend this new initiative after many false starts laden with controversies and scandals.

More than eight years ago, the contract for the National Identity Card Scheme was awarded to SAGEM of France. But after exasperating efforts by Nigerians to register for the scheme, the outcome was dismal and in fact, embarrassing. Many of those that registered were not issued with the National Identity Cards nor numbers to be identified with. The contract itself was dogged with bribery and scandals and the project was abandoned.

After the debacle the NIMC was established and entrusted the responsibility of reforming the identity card scheme. Its mandate includes collecting basic demographic and biometric data, creating, operating and managing a national identity database and providing an on-line/off-line cost-effective verification and authentification infrastructure in Nigeria. The commission was also asked to integrate all the other identity schemes and provide standardized identity attributes by restoring sanity to the sector.

No doubt, the National Identity scheme will bring a sharper and clearer way than the present muddled manner in which we manage our identity as a people.  It will restore order in the nation’s identity card scheme. The country is suffused with multiple identification initiatives by institutions such as Immigration, Federal Road Safety Corps, Pension Commissions, Federal Inland Revenue Service, Independent National Electoral Commission, Financial Institutions, Health Service Providers. We call on the commission to do a thorough job so that all these private institutional efforts are harmonised.

The advantages are many. Biometric identity cards are essential tool of modern business and society. It will increase efficiency in our dealings with the government, private corporations and reduce immigration service bureaucracy at our borders. It will ease identity verification in banks, airlines, insurance agencies and eliminate fraud. Identity fraud has become a major threat in electronic payment environments.  False identifications will be minimized where our identity card is required to access a bank account, like ATM for instance.

What’s more, since all biometric identities contain information such as photographs, finger prints, face and hand, it will make surveillance and identification of criminals easier and thus enhancing the work of law enforcement agents just as it enhances speedy treatment for accident victims as their personal data including blood group are stored in the card. We agree with Mr. Onyenenam when he said that the scheme would “develop and deepen the consumer credit sector, facilitate the enforcement of existing laws and meet global practices”.

But we must warn that this time around, care must be taken so that all Nigerians eligible for the scheme are captured and registered. Besides, it should be a continuous exercise as Nigerians ripe for the scheme are enrolled through constant update.
It is only through such exercise that the huge expenditure budgeted for the scheme will be justifiable and meaningful.

Kobojunkie:

What a great topic . , YET ANOTHER . . . ROFLMAO!!

naijaking1:

If this is akin to the US SS# system why would any Nigerian be against it
Oh, let me gues some of the potential excuses:

1.Nigeria is not yet developed for such an important scheme.
2. It just cost too much money
3. It will help expose Nigeria's criminally maligned census figures.
4. The ruling party wouldn't like it.
5. Sultan and emirs have issued a fatua condemning the scheme.
6. That money could have been used to send more Nigerians on religious pilgrimage
7. We've tried it before, and found it useless
8. It's useless
9. The office is dominated by people from a rival tribe
10. It's against our religion to issue women such biometric number, because it's against our customs and religion.
Others

AdamuW:

Interesting. Obviously it's something that needs to be studied carefully. There's pros and cons to such schemes. I don't know enough about it to make a judgement yet. However just because the US and UK etc are going crazy collecting everyone's data doesn't mean we should do the same by default. I do know many citizens in both countries think their governments have gone too far in collecting and monitoring data to the point that it's almost a police state. One only has to look at elements of the U.S. Patriot act to see how dangerous this can be.

So we have to take things step by step and consult with the public. Of course this consultation won't happen by the way. :-)  I know that. I'm just saying that's the ideal thing to do.  

fasa2020:

why complainin about d money to be spent? Are'nt you aware dt billions of naira are wasted yearly on budget due to fake hike censors figures in d country? In fact, this is a welcome idea and i pray God shall lead us through. God bless Nigeria.

enyojo:

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Let no man deceive you by any means: for [that day shall not come], except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition
2 Thessalonians 2:3
ANTI-CHRIST IS AROUND THE CORNER. WHEN EVERY HUMAN IS NUMBERLIZED AND SERIALIZED! THEN THE GLOBAL STAGE  WILL BE PREPARED FOR THE WORLD GOVERNMENT HEADED BY THE MAN OF SIN.

JUST AS YOU HAVE NIGERIAN CODE AS +234, THE GLOBAL NUMBER WOULD BE 666. THE + IN THE 234 MEANS SOMETHING ELSE SHOULD COME BEFORE IT. SO THE 666 THAT WILL BE INTRODUCED WILL BE A MARK THAT EVERYONE WHO SUBMITS TO THE WORLD LEADER WILL HAVE AS A SIGN OF ALLIGIANCE.

TO ESCAPE THIS, YOU MUST ENSURE THAT BEYOND ALL THESE OUR POLITICAL AND EARTHLY STRUGGLES, YOUR RELATIONSHIP WITH GOD IS GUARANTEED AND THAT IF RAPTURE TAKES PLACE, YOU WON'T BE LEFT BEHIND

lagerwhenindoubt:

The ID Card program is progressive and over-due. but the FACT of the matter remains, You don't just wake up one lazy sunday morning and decide you will commence Biometric ID cards production/registration in a months time

There is Orientation and Awareness, Feasibility Studies that look at risks for failure and prove and ensure success, there is Government buy-in, there are other stake-holders in terms of government agencies from Security, health, Transportation, Banking etc that need to know how they fit in. It is a laudable project, but we all know that without planning, you have planned to faill. i.e another money guzzling opportunity for party loyalists and corrupt contractors

naijaking1:

If this is akin to the US SS# system why would any Nigerian be against it
Oh, let me gues some of the potential excuses:

1.Nigeria is not yet developed for such an important scheme.
2. It just cost too much money
3. It will help expose Nigeria's criminally maligned census figures.
4. The ruling party wouldn't like it.
5. Sultan and emirs have issued a fatua condemning the scheme.
6. That money could have been used to send more Nigerians on religious pilgrimage
7. We've tried it before, and found it useless
8. It's useless
9. The office is dominated by people from a rival tribe
10. It's against our religion to issue women such biometric number, because it's against our customs and religion.
Others