The Presidency on Wednesday highlighted reasons every Nigerian may need to acquire the soon-to-be-launched general multipurpose ID card of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

In a sensitization video posted on X by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu Media Centre, the Presidency noted that the card will provide access to government interventions, reflecting efforts to enhance transparency in social contracts with citizens.

In addition, it said the cardholders can easily access loans from any government and other financial institutions as they come with verifiable credit scores based on their past financial records.

Recall that the Nigerian Consumer Credit Corporation (CREDICORP) recently announced that it has entered into a partnership with NIMC to fast-track the building of credit scores for all Nigerians with the National Identification Number (NIN).

Driving financial inclusion

While noting that the multipurpose card would soon be available to the general public, the Presidency emphasized its resolve to bring more Nigerians into financial inclusion through the multipurpose card.

“The National ID Card aims to bring over 100 million Nigerians into the banking sector as it automatically bestows on them an inclusion that has evaded more than half of the country’s population for a very long time,” it said.

“Users also have the option of requesting either credit or debit cards,” it added.

While the NIN is already a prerequisite for obtaining an international passport and driver’s licence, among others, the Presidency said this will now be required to apply for government jobs as well as private sector jobs.

It said this would give employers confidence on the profile of the job seekers as verified citizens without questionable records.

How to get the card

Explaining the modalities for the distribution of the cards during a media workshop in Lagos last week, the Head of Card Management Services at NIMC, Dr. Peter Iwegbu, noted that while the NIN is mandatory for every Nigerian, those who need the card would have to request for it.

While noting that the multipurpose cards would launched in a matter of weeks as the sample test cards had been received, Iwegbu, said NIMC has also decentralised requesting and collecting the banks to make it easy for Nigerians.

According to him, the 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 a card.

He said the Commission would also ensure that the cards are issued at uniform price across the banks.

Backstory

The NIMC in April this year announced plans to launch a multipurpose National ID card that can serve the purpose of identity verification, payments, and even government services.

The card to be powered by AfriGO, was launched in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Inter-bank Settlement System (NIBSS)

Information released by the NIMC reveals that the card will be enabled for all government intervention and services across multiple Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDA).

Among other capabilities and functionalities, it will also be enabled for the eNaira in compliance with the EMV operational and security standards.