NIMC Clears FEP’s Unpaid Arrears—Ready to roll out multi-purpose National ID in Feb 2025

The Director General/CEO of the National Identity Management Commission, NIMC Engr. Abisoye Coke-Odusote, announced on friday said that the Commission has cleared all outstanding payments due to its numerous Front End Partners (FEPs), which has for some years been a source of worry to succeeding managements of the Commission and the general public.

Engr Abisoye Coker-Odusote disclosed this to Newsmen during a two-day Worshop organised for Publishers/Managing Editors of Online Newspapers in Lagos with the theme: Building formidable bridges with the digital Ecosystem.

The DG who officially marked one-year in office on Friday, November 22, 2024 further disclosed that the Commission is currently working with financial institutions, especially commercial banks in the country towards the provision of a general multi-purpose pay national identity card GMPC, which is expected to come into operation in February, 2025, barring any last minute change in the scheme of things.

The CEO who seized the opportunity to address the journalists on some of the giant strides made by the Commission under her watch, listed the clearing of the backlog of emoluments owed the front end partners, which was achieved through rigorous and painstaking efforts, which made the banks to validate the FEPs before the eventual payment.

She also disclosed that the management in the last one year, embarked on revamping the operating infrastructure of the Commission, which saw the repair, upgrading of old and obsolete computer systems and the acquisition of new ones as well as training and retraining of the officers of the Commission across all levels.

She further said that the management has put measures in place to cushion the effects of the current economic hardship on the members of staff by introducing some allowances, provision of transport services for them to and from work, which also serves as a morale booster for them.

Head, Card Management Services of the Commission, Dr. Peter Iwegbu, who aalso spoke at the just concluded two-day roundtable workshop said plans are being finetuned for the roll out of the new national identification card, which he opined will be for every citizen of the country and all legal residents.

In his words, the card, which will have a 10-year life span, is fitted with over seven layers of security verification, will be issued on demand to the citizens and residents either from any of the commercial bank of their choice or from the NIMC office, adding that unlike the former cards previously done in the country, this would be paid for.

“The new national identity would be a debit card, will feature a uniform price across the country, would have biometrics and the facial identifications and signature of the bearer, it would be useful for accessing government’s social services, palliatives and other benefits including the students’ loan scheme.

“In line with government’s local content policy and as part of efforts to ensure data protection and security, the production of the card would be domiciled in the country, as it is being produced by an indigenous firm, AFRICO. One other thing that differentiates this GMPC from the previous attempts at producing a national ID card is that the former ones were to be issued by only one bank, but the current one is to be issued by all the banks, which leaves the card owner with a choice of the bank to use”, Dr. Iwegbu said.

He further disclosed that the Commission and the banks are at the final stage of integrating the card with the various platforms before its eventual roll out in the next two months, adding that the card is EMV-standard, which makes it acceptable all over the world.

New Sentinel observed that NIMC just rebranded its corporate logo giving the commission a better corporate outlook.