13 million MasterCard-branded National Identity Smart Cards with electronic payment capability are planned to be rolled out in Nigeria. 

The pilot programme driven by Nigeria's National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and financial services corporation, MasterCard, is the largest roll-out of a formal electronic payment solution in the country.

According to a statement the new National Identity Smart Card would incorporate the unique National Identification Numbers (NIN) of duly registered persons in the country.

The National Identity Smart Card is the card scheme under the recently deployed National Identity Management System (NIMS).

The enrolment process would involve the recording of an individual’s demographic data and biometric data (capture of 10 fingerprints, facial picture and digital signature) that are used to authenticate the cardholder and eliminate fraud and embezzlement.

The resultant National Identity Database will provide the platform for several other value propositions of the NIMC including identity authentication and verification, it was further stated.

As part of the programme's first phase, Nigerians 16 years and older, and all residents in the country for more than two years, would get the new multipurpose identity card which has 13 applications including MasterCard’s prepaid payment technology that would provide cardholders with the safety, convenience and reliability of electronic payments, the statement reads. 

When utilising the card as a prepaid payment tool, the cardholder can deposit funds on the card, receive social benefits, pay for goods and services at any MasterCard acceptance locations globally, withdraw cash from all ATMs that accept MasterCard, or engage in many other financial transactions that are facilitated by electronic payments.

Access Bank has come on board as the pilot issuer bank for the cards and Unified Payment Services (Unified Payments) as the payment processor. Other issuing banks include United Bank for Africa, Union Bank, Zenith, Skye Bank, Unity Bank, Stanbic, and First Bank.

Dr. Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala, minister of Finance and coordinating minister for the Economy in Nigeria, stressed the importance of the National Identity Smart Card Scheme in moving Nigeria to an electronic platform.

"This programme is good practice for us to bring all the citizens on a common platform for interacting with the various government agencies and for transacting electronically. We will implement this initiative in a collaborative manner between the public and private sectors, to achieve its full potential of inclusive citizenship and more effective governance,” she said.

“This announcement is the first phase of an unprecedented project in terms of scale and scope for Nigeria,” said Michael Miebach, president for the Middle East and Africa, MasterCard.

“MasterCard has been a firm supporter of the Central Bank of Nigeria’s cashless policy as we share a vision of a world beyond cash. From the programme’s inception, we have provided the federal government of Nigeria with global insights and best practices on how electronic payments can enable economic growth and create a more financially inclusive economy,” said Miebach.

Upon completion of the National ID registration process, NIMC aims to introduce more than 100 million cards to Nigeria’s 167 million citizens.