Nigerians to Pay for New ID Card as NIN Registration Hits 107m
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has disclosed that the National Identity Number (NIN) registration has reached 107.338,044, showing a growth of 3.2 million from the 104 million reported in December, 2023.
The Commission’s Director-General, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, also announced to journalists the ongoing plans to introduce a general multipurpose NIN card for which Nigerians will be required to pay.
She said the Commission will stop at nothing to ensure every Nigerian is registered.
The NIMC boss revealed that the commission is revamping its systems, implementing cutting-edge technologies to upgrade its outdated equipment and cracking down on fraudsters and extortionists.
She said with the continuous expansion of enrollment centres across the country, the Commission would be in a position to record total registration of Nigerians.
Coker-Odusote, noted that in the next six to eight months, the system, whose capacity presently stands at 100 million, would be upgraded to 250 million.
She further mentioned that the Commission intends to review the prices for its services to improve service delivery to Nigerians.
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“All we are trying to do is to ensure that we provide a robust service for Nigerian citizens and legal residents. And to ensure that life is easy and seamless. One should not spend three to four hours in the NIMC office because of NIN services. It is something I will not allow to continue to happen. We will provide all necessary means to address the issue.
“We are going to review our rate. It is not going to be much, but it will be reviewed. We have not reviewed our rate for a long time. It is not going to be exorbitant,” she said.
Coker-Odusote explained that Nigerians would have to pay a certain amount of money to access the new general multipurpose national identity card through financial institutions in the country, saying the card would allow them access to different digital services and enhance financial inclusion.
“Just like how you pay to access your ATM cards in the banks, Nigerians will pay through the banks to access their cards within 48 hours. We are partnering with Afrigo to ensure seamless delivery of cards to citizens after payment to get the digital multipurpose card,” she said.
She said applicants for the card will have to request with their NIN through a self-service online portal or the banks, insisting that NIN registration remains free for citizens of the country.
She further explained that NIMC was collaborating with the Students Loan Board, NYSC and other government institutions responsible for palliatives distribution and will soon start using NIMC identity database for services of government to ensure accountability and eliminate ghost beneficiaries.
