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Access Bank supports National Identity Management Scheme

By BusinessNews Staff on April 11, 2014

Access Bank Plc said it had provided an equipped office for the National Identity Management System project, as part of its commitment towards the success of the programme.

The office, which is situated in Lagos, is expected to serve as project office for the card scheme, according to a statement by the bank.

The Federal Government had approved the implementation of a unified identity management system for Nigerians.

The new integrated data system which will capture all Nigerians from the ages of 18 and above will also is expected to bring down the cost of data processing and storage by the different agencies in the country.

Managed by the National Identity Management Commission and executed in conjunction with different agencies of government which currently keep their own separate identity data, the NIMS also has the National Identity Smart Card component.

This will be the largest roll-out of a formal electronic payment solution in the country and the broadest financial inclusion initiative of its kind in Africa.

Under the programme, Access Bank is the pilot issuer bank and Unified Payment Services Limited is the payment processor while other issuing banks include United Bank for Africa, Union Bank, Zenith Bank, Skye Bank, Unity Bank, Stanbic and First Bank of Nigeria although not in the status of a pilot bank.

The new identity card is expected to revolutionise the economic landscape, breaking down one of the most significant barriers to financial inclusion — proof of identity, while simultaneously providing Nigerians with a world-class payment solution and support electronic transactions.

Preparatory to the pilot scheme, over 13 million MasterCard — branded National Identity Smart Cards with electronic payment capability for the pilot programme have been produced and tested at different locations with MasterCard and the National Identity Management Commission in partnership with Access Bank.

The programme will remove existing barrier between some segments of the society and access to financial services thereby promoting financial inclusion.

The statement quoted a demographer and social statistician, Mr. Maxwell Okoro, as saying, “The burden of providing valid means of identification that has alienated some segments of the society from deriving benefits and value from the nation’s financial system and other initiatives will become history with the commencement of the National Identity Card Scheme.”

[Punch]

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