Photos: President Jonathan launches new national e-ID card in Abuja

President Goodluck Jonathan yesterday 28th August, launched the nation’s electronic Identity Card, e-ID, in Abuja.

The president while speaking said his administration was prepared to provide subsidy for Nigerians but that it was critically important to identify those to be targeted .
He directed that all Government Ministries, Agencies and Departments, MDAs, involved in data capture activities, must align their activities, with a view to switching over to the National Identity Management Commission-NIMC infrastructure.
According to him, it would be cost-effective for all identification management projects to migrate to the NIMC project which would house a single ID database for the nation.
In his remarks, the Managing Director of Access bank, Mr. Herbert Wigwe, said that his organization was partnering with the NIMC in the e-ID project in recognition of its importance in the financial inclusion.
According to him, the Know Your Customer, KYC, requirement in the banking sector would be simplified through the e-ID and would therefore enhance the nation’s payment system.
 
His words:

 “the  scheme solves a lot of problems.  First, it solves the problem of identifying your customers, KYC, Know Your Customer. But today’s occasion is more important than all of that.   It helps in reducing the negative biases we have about Nigeria, just because we have no identity cards, so anybody from anywhere can claim to be a Nigerian.
“Now because this card is biometric in nature if your name is Herbert Wigwe, you cannot change that name because my thumb print and finger prints are on it.  So if there is fraud you can trace who the person is and where he is.  Your payment details are all there so if you like at the end of the day, it is showing who a person is truly is and we can identify that person as a Nigeria and what he is doing and things around fraud which are generally associated will come to an end.
Most importantly, this card, apart from being an identity card is also a payment card and will  support the electronic payment system in the country.
“It cuts across the whole spectrum of the people- the poor people, who can now take their money on the card.  Through this card can know people who are paying their taxes. It is another version meant to leapfrog what we have lost over the last 30 years.

Also speaking, the Director-General of the NIMC, Mr. Mr.Chris Onyemenam, said:

 “it will also reduce some of the security challenges that we have as a country because you  can truly identify everybody and thereby determine who comes from which country or not. We are coming from a situation where there was no proper identification”.

Cardholders can use it  for depositing funds ,withdrawals, getting social benefits and making payments for goods and services at any location accepting MasterCard worldwide.
3 million cards will be issued during this first enrolment phase, while other Nigerians who are 16 years and older are expected to be enrolled subsequently.