The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has explained why Nigerians must pay to get the new multipurpose national Identity card.
Speaking at a two-day roundtable organised for journalists in Lagos, NIMC Head of Card Management Services, Dr Peter Iwegbu disclosed that the payment is due to limited government revenue.
Iwegbu added that the payment is also to ensure that the card is produced for only those who need it.
He shared that the decision to make citizens pay was made to avoid repeating the mistake of the past efforts to issue physical cards to Nigerians for free, which many did not collect.
According to him, more than two million cards were produced in a previous attempt to issue free National ID cards by the NIMC, but many of them have not been collected to date.
“The government’s limited revenue is also a major factor in the decision to make Nigerians pay for the new ID card,” he stated.
Also shedding light on the issue, Lanre Yusuf, the Director of Information Technology at NIMC, noted that the idea of a free national ID card did not produce the desired result in the past.
Yusuf referred to the new ID card as a post-paid identity card; individuals must need it before initiating a request.
“To get the new national ID card, Nigerians will need to make a payment, select a pickup location, and then collect their card from the chosen location.
“The government has implemented programmes to make the card accessible to the less privileged Nigerians who cannot afford it but require it to access government support.
“This initiative demonstrates the government’s commitment to inclusivity and equality,” he said.
Sharing further, Yusuf revealed that the multipurpose will be launched soon as sample test cards had already been received.
“NIMC is working with banks across the country, which will make it possible for people to walk into any bank closest to them and request the card.
“The new national ID card is a multipurpose card that can serve the purpose of identity verification, payments, and even government services,” he added.
Source: Daily Sun
