Sat, May 11, 2013: MasterCard has inked a partnership with the Nigerian National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), helping them to roll out MasterCard-branded National Identity Smart Cards with electronic payment capability for the people in Nigeria. NIMC aims to introduce more than 100 million cards to Nigeria’s 167 citizens. The pilot banks that issuing the cards are Access Bank Plc, United Bank for Africa, Union Bank, Zenith, Skye Bank, Unity Bank, Stanbic, and First Bank while Unified Payment Services Limited (Unified Payments) will be the payment processor.
The National Identity Smart Card is the Card Scheme under the recently deployed National Identity Management System (NIMS). The program also is the largest roll-out of a formal electronic payment solution in the country and the broadest financial inclusion initiative of its kind on the African continent.
The new National Identity Smart Card will incorporate the unique National Identification Numbers (NIN) of duly registered persons in the country. The enrollment process involves the recording of an individual’s demographic data and biometric data (capture of 10 fingerprints, facial picture and digital signature) that are used to authenticate the cardholder and eliminate fraud and embezzlement. The resultant National Identity Database will provide the platform for several other value propositions of the NIMC including identity authentication and verification.
Photo: MasterCard.
