The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) revealed on Friday that the new multipurpose National Identity Card is not free.
While addressing journalists in Abuja on Friday, the director-general/chief executive officer of the NIMC, Abisoye Odusote, explained that Nigerians will have to pay a certain amount of money to get the card.
Although Odusote did not reveal the exact amount that would be required to get the card, she noted that payment to get the card would be made to any financial institution in the country.
She further explained that the National Identity Number (NIN) is free but the card will not be issued for free.
The chief executive officer of the NIMC also added that applicants for the card will have to request it with their NIN through a self-service online portal or the bank.
She said, “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 after payment to get the digital multipurpose card. The process will be fast and swift.”
News About Nigeria reports that the NIMC announced in April 2024 that the new multipurpose National Identity Card will serve various functions, including payments/financial, government intervention/services, and travel.
“The new national ID card is a single, convenient, and general multipurpose card, eliminating the need for multiple cards—not three,” NIMC revealed.
It also explained that the card would be issued through applicants’ respective banks in line with existing protocols for the issuance of debit and credit cards.
