PRESIDENT Goodluck Jonathan, on Thursday, launched the issuance of the national electronic Identity Card (e-ID Card), directing the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to work with the relevant agencies towards ensuring its use for speedy payment of salaries and pension.
Performing the formal launch inside State House Abuja, Banquet Hall, he described the realisation of the roll out of the National Identity Management System (NIMS) exercise as a milestone.
He directed the NIMC to immediately complement the efforts of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPS) and Pension Department by ensuring that Federal Civil Servants and Pensioners are enrolled and issued their Cards promptly, so that the e-ID and the secure payment platform can both facilitate speedy and safe payment of salaries and pensions.
Performing the formal launch inside State House Abuja, Banquet Hall, he described the realisation of the roll out of the National Identity Management System (NIMS) exercise as a milestone.
He directed the NIMC to immediately complement the efforts of the Integrated Personnel and Payroll System (IPPS) and Pension Department by ensuring that Federal Civil Servants and Pensioners are enrolled and issued their Cards promptly, so that the e-ID and the secure payment platform can both facilitate speedy and safe payment of salaries and pensions.
The president regretted that lack of proper identification had prevented ordinary Nigerians from benefiting from government subsidies which he observed are hijacked by those who turn around to mobilize the people to riot against government.
Jonathan also ordered that the identity authentication and verification services that are in pilot phase, should immediately be further extended to other Law Enforcement Agencies (LEAs) and be made available at the Airports and other border posts, for enhanced security checks.
Also, he said NIMC should ensure that all registrable persons as provided for in Section 16 of the NIMC Act No. 23, of 2007 are enrolled into the National Identity Database and 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 NIMC infrastructure.
While directing that the Bureau of Public Procurement (BPP) should also ensure compliance immediately, the president noted that the regime of duplication of Biometric data bases must now give way to harmonization and unification with the e-ID scheme as the primary data base.
He added: "Proliferation and duplication of efforts is neither cost effective, nor security-smart. It is important to remove obstacles that may impede the NIMC from the discharge of its constitutional functions and statutory obligations.
"The NIMC must now focus all its energy on ensuring that the remaining two components of the NIMS roll out; Identity Authentication and Verification and the Alignment and in particular, Switching Over by the MDAs through the harmonization and integration framework, are deployed without fail.
"The logistics and speed of data collection must have to be improved upon, and this will reduce the justifications given by MDAs, as reasons for duplicated biometric options. Hopefully, the Harmonization programme will help to achieve this, especially, by the Commission ensuring that MDAs switch or at least align their existing infrastructure, as data collection agents to the NIMC System.
"This should be the primary reason for expediting the Harmonisation programme: more so, in this way scarce Government resources will be better optimized for significant national benefits," he added.
Impressed by with the quality of the e-ID Card and the work of the corporate partners that made it possible, Jonathan commended MasterCard World-Wide Corporation, Access Bank Plc, the NIMC, who he said followed all laid down procedures in achieving a World-class product.
"The combination of intricate security features and other multiple functions in the e-ID Card, improving its functionality and versatility is also significant," he said.
The president further observed: "Following successful local and international tests, the e-Card Scheme has now finally taken off. It is important that the Commission’s on-going efforts at ensuring local content capacity in the Card Body production process is sustained with the same zeal as the meticulous rechecks of ensuring payment functionality, in compliance with international best practice. Such high standard will help create economic and employment opportunities, consistent with our commitment to National Transformation.
"We must at the onset keep in mind that the journey to capture the populace, by issuing over 100million Cards has just begun. You should therefore ensure that the issuance process is prompt and swift enough to enable many more Nigerians obtain their own e-ID Cards, as soon as possible."
Jonathan assured that the Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, will oversee that funding requirements as budgeted, will be met and matched with appropriate delivery by the commission, adding, "It is important to ensure that this e-ID Card issuance process, proceeds smoothly, and that all MDAs, and indeed the private sector, can benefit from its designed functionalities, as soon as possible."
He disclosed that he took keen interest in the project, "primarily because of the pervasive impact it can have on every facet of the socio-economic fabric of our dear nation, which is in sync with the Transformation Agenda of my Government.
"The fact that the project helps to establish the identity of the individual in such a way that privacy is assured and updating personal information is made easier. The project will also create effective access to the database in a more secure and user-friendly and reliable manner for the MDAs and even the private sector."
While reiterating his call for private investors to key into the project, the president said the Board of NIMC must act decisively to increase investor confidence, in a very professional way, so that the various opportunities can be rapidly identified and exploited for the good of our economy.
"To all Nigerians, I say, remember the National Identification Number (NIN), is your Identity. The Card is not only a means of certifying your identity, but also a personal database repository and payment Card, all in your pocket!" Jonathan declared.
In her remarks, Okonjo-Iweala, noted that with the launch of the issuance of the e-ID card, Nigerians are going to have a card that will enable them to incorporate all transactions into one system.
She recalled that when it was launch with in conjunction with MasterCard, the idea was to enable Nigeria to have a card that would ensure financial inclusion for the unbanked Nigerians.
"So, a platform for financial inclusion has been launched," she said, adding, government has not been able to identify those who needed social safety net because of lack of identification as she said what presently obtains in the country is general subsidy.
Okonjo-Iweala remarked that those who need assistance will be able to get the card and be easily identifiable and thanked the president for his initiative.
The Director-General of NIMC, Barr. Chris Onyemenam, demonstrated the numerous uses of the new ID and thanked the president for his deliberate policy to make the project realizable.
He noted the cynicism that had followed previous efforts and the difficulty of citizens to respond to call for participation in the exercise, hoping that with Thursday's launch, it would be embraced.
Onyemenam, who maintained that the card had been specifically produced and could not be counterfeited, said it went through a process to ensure that all the various components complied with international standards
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