NIMC Gives Update On Its New Multi-Purpose Card

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has listed the advantages its new national identity card project would offer to Nigerians.

The Commission emphasized that the new ID card is designed to promote financial inclusion and other social services.

There have been a series of criticisms which greeted the news of the introduction of the new card as some considered the new policy as unnecessary and a waste of resources, particularly in the light of the challenges facing the current database as it relates to the National Identity Number (NIN).

But the NIMC Head of Corporate Communications, Kayode Adegoke, says the new ID card project is a single, convenient, and general multipurpose card (GMPC), eliminating the need for multiple cards.

He assured that the card process would be seamless and beneficial to the people of the country.

The statement reads, “The new National ID Card is a single, convenient, and General multipurpose card (GMPC), eliminating the need for multiple cards—not three.”

He added that: “The single GMPC has multiple use cases: Payments/Financial, Government intervention/services, travel, etc

“The National Identity Management Commission is working with the Central Bank of Nigeria and the Nigerian Interbank Settlement System to deliver the payment and financial use cases.

“The card will be powered by the AFRIGO card scheme, an indigenous scheme powered by NIBSS.

“Applicants for the card will have to request with their NIN through the self-service online portal, NIMC offices, or their respective banks

“The card will be issued through the applicants’ respective banks in line with existing protocols with the issuance of the Debit/Credit cards.

“The card can be picked up by holders at the designated centre or delivered to the applicants at the requested location at an extra cost to be borne by the applicants.”