Business
…To Spend N6.3bn On ID Cards Project
The Federal Executive Council (FEC) recently approved N6.3 billion for the procurement of 13 million smart-cards for the take-off of the National Identity Management Scheme.
Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs. Omobola Johnson, disclosed this while briefing State House correspondents on the outcome of the Council meeting presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan at the State House.
Johnson said the cards were highly secured chip cards with 18 security features that would contain bio-metric data of each citizen.
She said the cards would also hold the other applications which would signal the beginning of the harmonisation and the integration of government agencies databases.
According to her, the cards would also include features like the individual’s National Health Insurance Scheme, passport, pensions, drivers Licence, tax, voting data and payment systems.
“The first set of cards of 13 million that were approved for award today would be imported but the personalisation will be done in Nigeria. The expectation is that come 2013 when we order the next sets of cards, they will be produced in Nigeria and personalise in Nigeria in furtherance of the local content agenda and job creation agenda of the Ministry of Communication Technology and of course of President Jonathan’s administration.’’
The minister said that every citizen from the 36 states and FCT enrolled in the scheme would to get a social identity number and would be entitled to the chips.
“We are immediately going to the 774 local governments with connectivity. At the point of enrolment you will be asked to show some form of identity that shows you are a Nigerian.’’