Nigeria to Upgrade National ID Card to Credit Card

By Lere Ojedokun, The Daily Champion

The Nigerian Federal Government yesterday unfolded plans to upgrade and expand the National Identity Card to a universal credit card system that could enable Nigerians make purchases without carrying cash.

The identification card which would carry more comprehensive security features, would also serve multiple purpose of being used as voters’ card, driver’s license, health insurance access and security access in any part of the world.

Federal Executive Council (FEC) considered the upgrading of the identity card project at its weekly meeting which lasted for over six hours. About 16 issues were discussed at the meeting.

By implication, the National Identity Card project conducted in 2002 may have been literally put on hold. Less than one-third of those captured under the exercise have been issued with the card.

President Olusegun Obasanjo who chaired the meeting, was said to have conceived the idea as a prelude to the introduction of a Consumer Credit Financing Scheme in the country in a bid to discourage the current cash-based economic system.

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