FEC okays 13m smart cards for national identity scheme

THE Federal Government is set to jump-start the issuance of the national identity cards  with the procurement of 13million customised smart cards under the accelerated implementation of the National Identity Management System (NIMS) project.
A meeting of the Federal Executive Council (FEC), presided over by President Goodluck Jonathan in the State House on Wednesday, approved the contract worth N6.34billion for the supply of the smart cards in favour of Messrs Auspoint Ltd, E-Payment Plus Ltd, Nigerian Security, Printing and Minting Company Ltd and Telnet Nig. Ltd.
According to the Minister of Communication Technology, Mrs Omobola Johnson, who briefed State House correspondents after the meeting, another contract for the card personalisation was also awarded at the cost of N1.009,320,000 to Messrs Chams Consortium Ltd with a completion period of 18 weeks.
According to her, “these are highly secured chip cards and have 18 security features that will ensure that the cards will not be easily forged or illegally acquired. The cards will contain both the National Identity number of every Nigerian citizen that enrols, it will also contain the biometric data for each citizen as well.
“The card will also host 13 applications and the reason for this is the beginning of the harmonisation and the integration of government agency databases for agencies that require the authentication and the validation of the citizen’s identity, before they are offered or given a service.
“And this will include things like the National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), passport, pensions, drivers license, tax, voting data and of course payment systems as well.
“The first tranche of cards of 13 million that were approved by FEC on Wednesday will be imported, but the personalisation will be done here in Nigeria. But the expectation is that come 2013 when we order the next tranche of cards, they will be produced and personalised in Nigeria in furtherance of the local content agenda and job creation agenda of the Ministry of Communication Technology and of course, President Jonathan’s administration.”
Tribune