NIMC Explains Payment Structure for National ID Card Renewal

Due to a lack of government funding, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) said on Friday that Nigerians will be responsible for paying for the new multipurpose national identity card.

During a two-day round table session for online editors in Lagos, Dr. Peter Iwegbu, the Head of Card Management Services at NIMC, made this statement.

According to Iwegbu, the payment was made to guarantee that only those who required it would receive it.

He claimed that the choice was made to avoid making the same mistakes as previous attempts to give away free physical cards to Nigerians, which many of them failed to collect.

According to Iwegbu, the NIMC previously produced over two million cards for free, but many of them have not yet been collected.

“The government’s limited revenue is also a major factor in the decision to make Nigerians pay for the new ID card,” he said.

Iwegbu clarified that this time around, the government was unable to provide the necessary funds for the ID card creation.

The concept of a free national ID card did not work out well in the past, according to Lanre Yusuf, the Director of Information Technology at NIMC.

According to Yusuf, the new ID card is a post-paid identity card, meaning that before requesting one, a person must need the card.

“To get the new national ID card, Nigerians will need to make a payment, select a pickup location, and then collect their card from the chosen location.

“The government has implemented programmes to make the card accessible to less privileged Nigerians who cannot afford it but require it to access government support.

“This initiative demonstrates the government’s commitment to inclusivity and equality, “ Yusuf said.

He mentioned that sample test cards had already been received and that the versatile ID cards were anticipated to appear shortly.

According to Yusuf, NIMC has worked with banks nationwide to provide a smooth experience, enabling Nigerians to request and pick up their cards from any bank branch.

“NIMC is working with banks across the country, which will make it possible for people to walk into any bank closest to them and request the card.

“The new national ID card is a multipurpose card that can serve the purpose of identity verification, payments, and even government services,” he said.

All government services and interventions across several Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs) will be able to use the card.