The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and MasterCard have announced the launch of over 13 million MasterCard-branded National Identity Smart Cards with the ability to offer electronic payment.
The Director General/Chief Executive of the NIMC, Mr. Chris Onyemenam, said in a statement: “We have chosen MasterCard to be the payment technology provider for the initial rollout of the National Identity Smart Card project because the company has shown a commitment to furthering financial inclusion through the reduction of cash in the Nigerian economy.”
As part of the programme, in its first phase, Nigerians, 16 years and above, and all residents in the country for more than two years, will get the new multipurpose identity card which has 13 applications including MasterCard’s prepaid payment technology that will provide cardholders with the safety, convenience and reliability of electronic payments.
The project will have Access Bank Plc as the pilot issuer bank for the cards and Unified Payment Services Limited (Unified Payments) as the payment processor. Other issuing banks will include United Bank for Africa, Union Bank, Zenith, Skye Bank, Unity Bank, Stanbic, and First Bank.
The Coordinating Minister for the Economy and Minister of Finance, Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, in her remarks, stressed the benefits of the National Identity Smart Card scheme in moving Nigeria to an electronic platform.
“This programme is good practice for us to bring all the citizens on a common platform for interacting with the various government agencies and for transacting electronically.
“We will implement this initiative in a collaborative manner between the public and private sectors, to achieve its full potential of inclusive citizenship and more effective governance,” she said.
Speaking for the bank, the Chief Executive Officer, Access Bank Plc, Mr. Aigboje Aig-Imoukhuede said: “Access Bank’s involvement in this project is testament to our ongoing efforts to expand financial inclusion in Nigeria.”
The National Identity Management System (NIMS) is responsible for initiating the National Identity Smart Card scheme.
The programme is the largest rollout of a formal electronic payment solution in Nigeria and the broadest financial inclusion initiative in Africa.