Nigeria’s Ministry of Interior should reconsider its plans for issuing a new national identity card due to its likely redundancy and inefficiency.
Development Diaries reports that about 104 million Nigerians will receive three new national identity cards by June 2024, according to a recent announcement from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), which is an agency under the Ministry of Interior.
Currently, Nigeria possesses various forms of identification, including the permanent voter’s card (PVC), driver’s licence, and passport, all of which serve similar purposes.
Introducing yet another identification system would not only duplicate efforts but also burden citizens with unnecessary bureaucratic processes.
According to the Human Rights Writers Association (HURIWA), the planned exercise is a misuse of the commonwealth of Nigerians and a scheme to rip Nigerians off public funds. We agree.
Moreover, the existing identification systems are widely recognised, hence, the creation of a new national identity card is redundant and potentially wasteful of resources that could be allocated to more pressing needs.
The NIMC assured Nigerians of a seamless registration process and delivery within two months of the launch, but we all know this is laughable because many Nigerians are still struggling to register for the National Identity Number (NIN) years after its commencement.
This is why the Ministry of Interior should rather prioritise enhancing the effectiveness and accessibility of existing identification systems than introducing a new one.
Development Diaries urges the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, to instead invest in improving the efficiency and reliability of existing identification systems in the country.
