Post by Trade Coach on Aug 13, 2017 8:03:24 GMT 1
What fate does National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) envisage for the national e-id (national identity card)? would it achieve its laudable and all important role? or would it end up in the wasteful dustbin of its predecessors, as one of those national projects that is high on expectation and short on implementation?
That the national identity card is very relevant is not an issue in question; in view of the security, social and economic benefits to the individual and the nation. At the moment, it is a prime means of identification anywhere in Nigeria. The other ones usually demanded are national driving licence, international passport or utility bills.
As we all know, not all Nigerians can drive, talk less of having a car. The international passport come to even fewer people while utility bills are usually in the name of the property owner. This situation is what has served, as motivation, apart from the main purpose of knowing who is a Nigerian or not, for people's desire to own the id card. It is one card-serves all.
It is perhaps in realization of this that NIMC, in designing the current national e-id, has added more equally valuable features to make it awesome in capability and a treasure to own and protect.
Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was elated and so were other key' functionaries and industry leaders at its launch. Writing on the e-ID, Etim Imisim and Benjie ihenyen, two crack journalists who had followed and monitored the project from its original conception under the Department of National Civic Registration (DNCR) to NIMC, the current agency handling it, and who were also present at the launch, described the national e-id as "the game changer”. It was published in many media but we would also reproduce it for more insight.
At the moment, remarked a reputable Nigerian businessman, “i don't know if the goal of this project would be realized”. Asked why, he said that the way the implementation is going. Some of us were also thinking in that direction, especially with what we are also observing with regard to enrolment and issuance of the card, amount of information available and obvious decline in the zeal that first greeted its commencement.
The registration process seems concentrated in some areas and totally absent at other areas. There is no authoritative information on when the cards can be collected. An instance is someone who registered at NIMC head office in Abuja, almost a year ago,2 years after its official launch but is yet to collect his card. There is also the absence of continuing public information through the media, to drive the momentum of the project and make it a living and desirable product in the people's mind. It is true that people need it but in the absence of any further incentive by way of persuasive information, they may just forget it. That’s one of the things that kill great products: lukewarm attitude.
In addition, NIMC has to realize that current permanent voters card (PVC), issued by INEC, even though its feature is as the national e-ID. We do hope NIMC is seeing all these as impacting on the possibility or otherwise of the national ID card project succeeding.
The national e-ID is a great offering by the immediate past administration; but only NIMC and the stakeholders involved can make it to be counted.
That the national identity card is very relevant is not an issue in question; in view of the security, social and economic benefits to the individual and the nation. At the moment, it is a prime means of identification anywhere in Nigeria. The other ones usually demanded are national driving licence, international passport or utility bills.
As we all know, not all Nigerians can drive, talk less of having a car. The international passport come to even fewer people while utility bills are usually in the name of the property owner. This situation is what has served, as motivation, apart from the main purpose of knowing who is a Nigerian or not, for people's desire to own the id card. It is one card-serves all.
It is perhaps in realization of this that NIMC, in designing the current national e-id, has added more equally valuable features to make it awesome in capability and a treasure to own and protect.
Former President Goodluck Ebele Jonathan was elated and so were other key' functionaries and industry leaders at its launch. Writing on the e-ID, Etim Imisim and Benjie ihenyen, two crack journalists who had followed and monitored the project from its original conception under the Department of National Civic Registration (DNCR) to NIMC, the current agency handling it, and who were also present at the launch, described the national e-id as "the game changer”. It was published in many media but we would also reproduce it for more insight.
At the moment, remarked a reputable Nigerian businessman, “i don't know if the goal of this project would be realized”. Asked why, he said that the way the implementation is going. Some of us were also thinking in that direction, especially with what we are also observing with regard to enrolment and issuance of the card, amount of information available and obvious decline in the zeal that first greeted its commencement.
The registration process seems concentrated in some areas and totally absent at other areas. There is no authoritative information on when the cards can be collected. An instance is someone who registered at NIMC head office in Abuja, almost a year ago,2 years after its official launch but is yet to collect his card. There is also the absence of continuing public information through the media, to drive the momentum of the project and make it a living and desirable product in the people's mind. It is true that people need it but in the absence of any further incentive by way of persuasive information, they may just forget it. That’s one of the things that kill great products: lukewarm attitude.
In addition, NIMC has to realize that current permanent voters card (PVC), issued by INEC, even though its feature is as the national e-ID. We do hope NIMC is seeing all these as impacting on the possibility or otherwise of the national ID card project succeeding.
The national e-ID is a great offering by the immediate past administration; but only NIMC and the stakeholders involved can make it to be counted.