The National Identity Management Commission has confirmed that Nigerians will start using the services of the proposed three-in-one identity card within two months.
It was announced that the single multipurpose card, integrating identity, financial, and social services functions, will be distributed to citizens nationwide by August of this year.
A senior member of the implementation team, who requested anonymity, revealed this new information on Friday, June 21st.
The official mentioned that the commission had been working diligently to achieve its objectives, emphasizing that the plan is progressing as scheduled and will be launched in the coming months.
He also revealed that the commission has initiated the testing and deployment phase.
The official stated, “We actually plan for July although there have been a few delays but we are still hopeful that it would come in July. So we are hoping to get it done between July and August. We are still on plan and if there is any shift, the public will know.”
The official added, “When you are deploying a new technology, there is a lot of work to be done, you need to configure the card, enable the outlet, and enable the wallet to work. We also have to do tests and that is what is ongoing.
“The deployment is ongoing, the portal that people need to access the service has to be deployed, and we have to make sure that it is scaleable and those are the ongoing works.
“There are integrations that all the banks need to do to enable the card and all of those little details are ongoing. We have that target and we are working extra hard to make sure that we achieve that.”
On Friday, April 5, 2024, the NIMC announced the launch of a new card integrated with payment capabilities and social service features, in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigeria Inter-bank Settlement System.
It was explained that the identity solution was equipped with payment capabilities for various social and financial services.
According to a statement issued, the initiative represents a collaborative effort aimed at providing expanded options for domestic consumers, while promoting the delivery of services in a more innovative, cost-effective, and competitive manner.
The identity cards will comprise a bank-enabled National ID card, a social intervention card, and an optional ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card.
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