Only last week, national dailies in Nigeria were awashed with the story of the decision reached by the Federal Executive Council (FEC)-headed by President Goodluck Jonathan- to approve the whooping sum of N36bn for a National Identity Card. On reading the news report, I asked myself this question:

If INEC truly captured the biometric data of eligible Nigerians of voting age amounting to 73million Nigerians during the last voters registration exercise, is the supposedly available INEC biometric data base not sufficient for the FG to generate a National Identity card? Or what other information is required to be captured in a Nation Identity Card other than what INEC captured during the voters registration?

This, no doubt will save Nigeria wastage of resources and further, the FG government can in way of policy encourage more Nigerians to get registered with INEC by ensuring that only those registered voters also get the national ID card.

Really, why the need for another biometric data capture? In addition, the  SIM card registration exercise has just been concluded nation- which was also a biometric registration, with the information requested similar to that also requested during the INEC voters registration- by harmonizing these two HUGE biometric databases, will the FG not save Nigeria the much needed money by using these existing biometric databases instead of embacking on a
new venture?

Fellow forumites,if you have a contrary opinion please do air it, as I am almost on the verge of calling this new ID card registration exercise another epic fraud!

You are absolutely right! The amount of bio data records availalable to the FG should have been a good starting point for the new ID card scheme. But as we always say, this is Nigeria where our leaders act or talk before thinking,

You are absolutely right! The amount of bio data records availalable to the FG should have been a good starting point for the new ID card scheme. But as we always say, this is Nigeria where our leaders act or talk before thinking,

Didn't you see the number of kids that voted in the North? Some as young as 6? Something failed in the areas where illiteracy could be taken advantage of; its better to try the process again with that hindsight, let INEC use the freshly gathered data instead.

always using different strategies to steal money,

Omo_Tier1:

In addition, the  SIM card registration exercise has just been concluded nation- which was also a biometric registration, with the information requested similar to that also requested during the INEC voters registration- by harmonizing these two HUGE biometric databases, will the FG not save Nigeria the much needed money by using these existing biometric databases instead of embacking on a
new venture?

Interesting point. I don't see why the existing biodata couldn't be reused. At the very least, whatever data you've collected you don't need to collect again, right? (assuming names are associated with the data)

You should be able to use the existing data to collect less.

I dont see why we should be worked up because N36b was approved for the ID card project.
Apart from INEC, sim registration, the FRSC new car numbers and drivers licence registration will be biometric same for the international passports.
The NIMC is an independent agency and has a right and should actually be the custodian of the a database of all Nigerians.
Having this national ID now can be used as a cross referencing for datas previously received, it is all to work together for our own good.
Calling it a fraud does not make it a fraud, what we should be interested in is getting value for this project, govt can initiate a policy where banks use fingerprint readers to pay and banks will be sold a link to this database, only the NIMC can do this, INEC,FRSC and Immigrations can not sell such data, police would have fingerprint readers and access to the database so that arrested individuals can have their prints run on all the databases

But you cannot fake biometric data, can you?

So why do I need to cross-reference anything?

Fingerprints are unique, right? So if someone tries to game the system by entering multiple fingerprints, i'll be able to quickly detect them, no?

They should use the existing data they have as a starting point. No point in duplicating, I think.

There was a census in 2006. What happened to that data?
Come to think of it, why does the government want to give people an ID card? Are they implementing some form of National Insurance or Social Security?
Nigeria can be funny. Every day, births are recorded and certificates issued, people enrol for WAEC, JAMB, and school at all levels, open bank accounts, get married, lately register their SIMs, etc . . . and government is still looking for data.

I don't think the US or UK have 'national IDs'. People have drivers licenses, passports, work IDs, etc. What you really need to do is document people so you can track their activities and have an idea of who is legally in your territory or not.  Especially so you can plan for those people. Giving people an ID card does not even begin to make sense.

well,truth is INEC never really had any database,
they just printed voting register out from individual systems,

Sometimes I wonder if some people have brain at all after they've lived in the US for so long?

Can you obtain a drivers license with the (bio)data in your SSN or immigration record without submitting a completely new form with all the data required for drivers license in place?

The only difference in Nigeria is we are just starting from scratch.

^-- So I don't mistakenly attack you, is the above comment directed at me? If not, then I'll let others explain why your post makes no sense.

Because I don't want to be one of these things where I call you out and then you say, "Oh, I actually wasn't referring to you."

If you want to take shots, at least be man enough to name some names directly.

Heh

ekt_bear:

But you cannot fake biometric data, can you?

So why do I need to cross-reference anything?

Fingerprints are unique, right? So if someone tries to game the system by entering multiple fingerprints, i'll be able to quickly detect them, no?

They should use the existing data they have as a starting point. No point in duplicating, I think.

I know you kept your wits about you during the recent elections 2011 - Have you asked yourself why INEC will engage the collation of biometric data and proceed to perform manual balloting during the elections, are finger-print data not used for electronic voting that would have prevented all these accusations and counter-accusations about election-rigging and ballot-stuffing. This Fresh Air has been smelling for soo long that we have gotten used to it. The whole INEC Registration process and the proceeds spent is a complete Fraud on the intelligence of Nigerians

Beaf:

Didn't you see the number of kids that voted in the North? Some as young as 6? Something failed in the areas where illiteracy could be taken advantage of; its better to try the process again with that hindsight, let INEC use the freshly gathered data instead.

I must say your arguement as posited is very unconvincing to say the least

Are you indirectly admitting that INEC's whooping N89bn biometric voters registration was a charade in itself?

If I can recall vividly, were we not told that one of the huge benefit of INEC expending such a huge sums of money on biometric voters registration was a generation of a National Database that could be used by national security agencies, civil service commission for vetting during recruitment, etc.

Again,I thought Jega told us that the INEC 'cleaned' out the biometric database for inconsistencies, hence the database should have some degree of reliability.

The questions I need answers on is;

What other information will be captured by this new registration exercise that wasn't captured in the INEC and NCC registrations?

Why didn't the government during the project planning phase of the INEC biometric registration envisage its usage for a National ID card scheme while using the NCC registration as a follow-on to firm up the authencity of the biometrics?

Lastly, why is the proposed/approved ID card registration costing N36bn while INEC voters registration was a whooping N89bn? Further the NCC SIM registration costing a little above N6bn? Interesting, these three biometric data capture exercise targeted or hoping to capture almost same numbers of Nigerians or legally abiding residents in Nigeria.

@lagerwhenindoubt: Right, so the biometrics they took, it doesn't seem as if they used it for voting.

But we still have it, right? So if you've already collected 20 million fingerprints (or whatever they did), may as well use it, right? No real reason to collect again for those 20 million people, right?

The screwy election stuff is slightly tangential.

If there are 20 million fingerprints sitting in some computer in Abuja with names and other information associated with 'em (possibly a big "if". Maybe they didn't even really do any biometrics earlier, and just lied. I have no clue), then it seems wasteful to recollect prints for those people.

ekt_bear:

^-- So I don't mistakenly attack you, is the above comment directed at me? If not, then I'll let others explain why your post makes no sense.

ekt_bear:

Because I don't want to be one of these things where I call you out and then you say, "Oh, I actually wasn't referring to you."

If you want to take shots, at least be man enough to name some names directly.

Heh

Damn it! Are you the only one here that live in the US

Heh.

That is sufficient, then.

lagerwhenindoubt:

I know you kept your wits about you during the recent elections 2011 - Have you asked yourself why INEC will engage the collation of biometric data and proceed to perform manual balloting during the elections, are finger-print data not used for electronic voting that would have prevented all these accusations and counter-accusations about election-rigging and ballot-stuffing. This Fresh Air has been smelling for soo long that we have gotten used to it. The whole INEC Registration process and the proceeds spent is a complete Fraud on the intelligence of Nigerians

Observation: INEC could not have engaged the use of electronic voting as the 2010 Electoral Act as amended by the 6th NASS did not make provision for such despite Jega's convincing presentation to both the senate and house of representation committees on INEC on the very possibilities and potentials of engaging electronic voting in the exercise. The reasons given by the then NASS were mainly poor road network, insufficient and unstable power and fear of the unknow such as softwars malfunction etc.

Be that as it may, I still hold strongly the believe that this National ID can registration scheme is another waste!
Even the UK with all her wealth in her proposal to introduce and ID for her nationals, even though the present tory government has scrapped it, thier strategy was to use the existing database they currently have to an extent, with the hope of capturing more as the project grows to maturity.

To add further, why can't the government plan this national ID card side by side a Social Security programme implementable in 3-phases over a given period of 6years? For example,

Phase-1:Develop a cross frame-work and implementation strategy for National ID and Social Security bring ALL the government agencies on board

Phase-2:Implement a dummy trial in 2 states in each of the six geo-political zones.States not benefitting at this dummy trial stage would have thier share of the SS funding invested in a short term government bond for quick returns or money banked with the CBN, invested in a sensible way and the profit realized can be used for more infrstructural development.

Phase 3:Evolve a full nation-wide roll out while making amends using legislation of the loop holes (if any)observed in the trial phase.

I find it so odd that that a National ID registration is about to be undertaken and no mention of social security scheme by the FG. By the way social security goes beyong handing out "goverment cheese" and it also involves community policing, social housing development, etc.

Omo_Tier1:

To add further, why can't the government plan this national ID card side by side a Social Security programme implementable in 3-phases over a given period of 6years? For example,

Phase-1:Develop a cross frame-work and implementation strategy for National ID and Social Security bring ALL the government agencies on board

Phase-2:Implement a dummy trial in 2 states in each of the six geo-political zones.States not benefitting at this dummy trial stage would have thier share of the SS funding invested in a short term government bond for quick returns or money banked with the CBN, invested in a sensible way and the profit realized can be used for more infrstructural development.

Phase 3:Evolve a full nation-wide roll out while making amends using legislation of the loop holes (if any)observed in the trial phase.

I find it so odd that that a National ID registration is about to be undertaken and no mention of social security scheme by the FG. By the way social security goes beyong handing out "goverment cheese" and it also involves community policing, social housing development, etc.

Not to beat a dead horse any further. It beats my imagination to think that Government Officers responsible for such a scheme are not mindful of the value in planning properly as you have proposed. They have learned people up there and i presume the rank and file are just as learned not to miss out on the logic of your statements, but here we are 3 National ID exercises afterwards, 2 Census and 2 Election collation exercises. NOTHING!

lagerwhenindoubt:

Not to beat a dead horse any further. It beats my imagination to think that Government Officers responsible for such a scheme are not mindful of the value in planning properly as you have proposed. They have learned people up there and i presume the rank and file are just as learned not to miss out on the logic of your statements, but here we are 3 National ID exercises afterwards, 2 Census and 2 Election collation exercises. NOTHING!

Honestly,I was thinking along the line of GEJ's promise to "do things differently and better" hence I would have thought his proposal should have the boldness and tenacity to leap frog previous exercises and be more futuristic in design and implementation.

Let's even 4get d INEC voters card,av we all 4gotten dt dere is a valid ID scheme conducted during Obasanjo regime,whc some pple alredy have and some of whc,produced,but are yet to b collected by other people;jst go to d national I'd offices in d states and c d numb of uncollected cards.
Dis to me is simply fraudulent,no oda word shd qualify for it,imagine wanting to produce a whole new series for everybody,are we running a BAZAAR in dis country for God's sake!

doctokwus:

Let's even 4get d INEC voters card,av we all 4gotten dt dere is a valid ID scheme conducted during Obasanjo regime,whc some pple alredy have and some of whc,produced,but are yet to b collected by other people;jst go to d national I'd offices in d states and c d  numb of uncollected cards.
Dis to me is simply fraudulent,no oda word shd qualify for it,imagine wanting to produce a whole new series for everybody,are we running a BAZAAR in dis country for God's sake!

In months to come, they're likely to come up with some c*ock & bull story and increase the original amount.
Just like they did with the national stadium.