Nigerians Have Too Many Identity Cards – World Bank

The World Bank ​on Wednesday complained about the multiplicity of identity cards issued to Nigerians for specific identity-related purposes by different organizations.

World Bank Specialist on Digital Information for Development, Dr Vijay Madan, lamented that Nigerians had too many of such and urged the Nigerian government to harmonize them.

Madan spoke when he visited the Corps Marshal of the FRSC, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, in Abuja.

He identified the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC) as a critical stakeholder in the country’s identity harmonisation project.

He noted that if well harmonised, all identity-related activities currently being carried out by different organisations in the country could be handled by a single organisation with “lead agency status to the project’’.

​Madan noted that he National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) is empowered by its enabling Act to take the lead in this regard.

The World Bank specialist lauded the FRSC for its huge investment in ICT, and called for synergy among all relevant agencies to achieve harmony and efficiency in the county’s identity management system.

He emphasised that data harmonisation would lead to optimal use of equipment and reduction in cost, in addition to providing a central data repository from which other agencies could tap.

The Corps Marshal, Dr Boboye Oyeyemi, said the FRSC was willing to share its expertise in biometric data capturing with other agencies.

Oyeyemi disclosed that the Corps was currently collaborating with NIMC on the harmonisation project as directed by President Muhammadu Buhari to achieve a cohesive national database.

He also disclosed plans by the Corps to organise a one-day workshop for representatives of relevant agencies for better understanding of its data gathering and management system​.​