Sign in Subscribe
Cabinet officials

Nigeria Announces Shift to Digital National Identity Cards, Aims to Replace Plastic Cards with Biometric Data Management

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

President Muhammadu Buhari has announced plans to replace traditional plastic national identity cards with digital forms of identification in Nigeria. This decision was made following the submission of a report by the Citizen Data Management and Harmonisation Committee, chaired by Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola. The move aims to address concerns raised by the United States, which had imposed temporary visa restrictions on Nigerian passport holders in February.

Key Takeaways:

  • The federal government has announced plans to replace traditional plastic national identity cards with digital forms of identification in Nigeria.
  • The decision was made following the submission of a report by the Citizen Data Management and Harmonisation Committee, chaired by Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola.
  • The committee was set up in February following the imposition of temporary visa restrictions on Nigerian passport holders by the United States on February 21.
  • The digital identification system will be linked to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and will allow for the tracking of citizens using their unique national identification number.
  • The new system will also include the use of DNA technology to further secure identification.
  • The federal government has assured that the recommendations of the committee would be fully implemented, which includes the establishment of a National Criminal Information Management system and a National Criminal DNA Laboratory.
  • The implementation of the recommendations will require enormous resources, and an implementation committee will be constituted to further study the recommendations and develop a workable implementation plan.
  • The shift to digital national identity cards aims to address concerns raised by the United States and to establish a credible harmonised national identity data management system.

Statistics:

  • 1.3 billion people can be controlled by digital identification in just about seven minutes.
  • The digital identification system will save foreign exchange and reduce the financial burden of producing and maintaining traditional plastic cards.
  • Two out of the six areas of concern raised by the US had been fully addressed.
  • Two areas are substantially satisfied, while some progress is being made on the remaining two.
  • The digital identification system will be linked to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

Sources:

  • [1] "Nigeria to start issuing digital national identity cards, President Muhammadu Buhari says" - The Cable.
  • [2] "Buhari Receives Report, Says Nigeria Making Progress in Reversing Suspension of Immigrant Visas" - PMNEWS.
  • [3] "FG Cites Progress in Addressing US Concerns, Unveils Plan to Replace NIN Cards with Digital IDs" - Daily Post Nigeria.

Read more