NIN smart card to be enabled by PIN, Fingerprint and facial recognition

LAGOS, Nigeria – The Nigerian Identity Management Commission, NIMC has said that theGeneral Multipurpose National Identity Card it is working on has over 20 security features that makes it full proof for fraudsters to manipulate for personal benefits.

Head of Corporate Communications, NIMC, Mr. Kayode Adegoke who spoke at the recent training of publishers and media executives said usage of the card when injected into the system transcends its usage for making payments.

The NIM smart card has 32-wallet applications and it is enabled for both online & Offline operation, with identity verification & transaction processing with or without real-time connectivity. It is secured by multi-factor authentication, through use of PIN, fingerprint, & facial recognition.

It is enabled for all government social programs: cash transfer, agricultural loans, student loans, health insurance scheme, micro contribution, micro pension etc.
It is interoperable with existing payment system: ATMs, POS, Mobile Apps, and web-based payment gateways, easy to use via biometric-based transaction & verification processing.

Adegoke said NIMC is working with the Central Bank of Nigeria, CBN, the banks to actualise the mandate.

He said unlike the existing NIN card, with over 3 million lying in NIMC offices nationwide uncollected, the multipurpose NIN card will not be automatically issued but it will be online.

He said the NIN owner will have to request it before it will be issued either through the banks or any other authorised agency, adding that the multipurpose smart card will be launched this July.