Contrary to speculations that the national electronic identity (eID) card,
currently being issued by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) is fraught with security breaches, the commission has said it would instead give the cards, and card bearers international recognition and acceptance, since the cards also function as payment cards.
Director-General of NIMC, Chris Onyemenam, who made the clarification in a chat with THISDAY in Paris, France, at the ongoing Cartes Secure Connexion conference, described the speculations as false, insisting that the card bearers will enjoy international recognition since MasterCard is a global brand with integrity and acceptability across the globe. Citing poor perception image of Nigeria in the eyes of international communities, and the rejection of most credit cards from Nigeria by international merchants, Onyemanam
explained that the MasterCard's logo positioned at the back of the identity card, was strategic to help the card and its bearers gain respect and acceptance globally.
"The introduction of MasterCard's logo on the national eID card is an advancement in technology on the part of NIMC in ensuring that the country's identity card is recognised locally and globally as payment card, aside being an identity card, and for this singular reason, other countries are seeking audience with Nigeria to study the authenticity and technicalities of the Nigerian national identity card," Onyemenam said. Reacting to speculations that the introduction of MasterCard's logo constitutes national breach, since part of the in-built technologies of the card are controlled by MasterCard, thus exposing the database of Nigeria to a foreign company, Onyemenam said the card contains 13 applets, which are security features, and that MasterCard, a technology company, controls only one of the security features, which is the personal identity number (PIN) authentication in facilitating financial transactions on
the card. He said MasterCard does not know the personal details of the cardholder, since such details and other vital technology details are embedded in other security compartments that are not accessible to MasterCard. He clarified: "MasterCard does not have and will never have access to other information in the card, which leaves it with no control over the card."
Division President, sub-Saharan Africa for MasterCard, Daniel Monehin, had also faulted the speculations that MasterCard has full control of Nigeria's national identity card system. According to him, MasterCard is not a credit company, and not an identity company, but a technology company that is facilitating authenticity in every financial transaction carried out on the card. Speaking on the security features of the card, Onyemenem said, NIMC has gone ahead to implement its own Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), which
means that digital certificates and keys issued for each cardholder are not sent offshore for signing, but are signed internally at NIMC headquarter, as Nigeria now has its own Registration Authority (RA) and Country Signing Certificate of Authority (CSCA).
With these infrastructure on ground, Onyemenam said, NIMC would commence issuance of the national electronic identity cards across the 36 states of the federation, from next week.http://www.thisdaylive.com/articles/mastercards-logo-on-national-eid-card-will-enhance-nigerias-poor-global-perception/193295/

Same thing was said about the Nigeria SIM Card registration ...that our data would be safe. Not long after we all submitted our details we started receiving all sort of text messages from unknown business advertising their wares. We de watch naaaa

How did we get here.