Nigerians have asked one question for 48 years: where are national identity cards?

Key Points: Funds Spent on National Identity Cards from 1979-2021:

1. $16 million (1979) – Initial funding under General Olusegun Obasanjo’s administration for the identity card project, contracted to Avant Incorporation, USA.
2. N56 million, later revised to N90 million (1980s) – Re-awarded contract under President Shehu Shagari, adjusted due to exchange rate fluctuations.
3. $38.4 million (1998) – Awarded to a consortium led by Chams Limited Nigeria under General Abdulsalami Abubakar.
4. N38 billion ($214 million) (2001) – Contract awarded to French company Sagem under President Olusegun Obasanjo for voter authentication and the 2003 general elections, but collapsed due to bribery scandals.
5. $410,390.60 (Legal damages) – Settlement awarded to Chams Plc after a legal battle with NIMC over contract breaches involving MasterCard.
6. N121 billion (By 2015) – Total expenditure on identity card projects over several years.
7. $115 million loan (2020) – Approved by the World Bank under its Identification for Development (ID4D) program.
8. $315 million (International funding) – Contributions from the European Investment Bank and the French Development Agency to accelerate NIN registration.

By Theophilus Abbah

Afolabi Ade felt like a man who had flown to the Moon and returned to Earth successfully on the day in August 2001 when he tore through a thick sea of people to complete the registration process for a national identity card. At the time, Ade lived in Dopemu, Lagos. But it was all a wasted effort. Sagem, the French company that won the N38 billion contract to produce some 60 million identity cards, was embroiled in a $2 million bribery and corruption scandal. The controversy implicated a former Minister of Internal Affairs, Mr. Sunday Afolabi, his successor Mohammed Shata, former Labour Minister Hussain Akwanga, and other top government officials.

An Illustration: Nigerians queue up to enrol for NIN at NIMC office

By 2014, Ade had relocated to Abuja. Rather than the Ministry of Internal Affairs overseeing the issuance of national identity cards, a new agency—the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)—created by an Act of the National Assembly under former President Olusegun Obasanjo in 2007, had assumed the task. On a sweltering day in April 2014, the NIMC deployed its van, fitted with biometric data-capturing technology, to the premises of the company where Ade worked. He felt privileged. Unlike the chaos of 2001, this time his data was captured in an atmosphere of comfort and dignity, giving him a sense of national pride.

To reinforce his belief that the card was finally under way, NIMC issued him two slips, one of which bore his National Identification Number (NIN). He was told he would soon receive a text message with instructions on where to pick up his card. That text never arrived. Ten years on, Ade continues to use only his NIN for identification.

The French company that won the N38 billion contract to produce some 60 million identity cards, was embroiled in a $2 million bribery and corruption scandal

In 2024, the government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu announced a new national identity card project. The initiative, dubbed a multipurpose card, is bank-enabled, serves as a social intervention card, and functions optionally as an ECOWAS National Biometric Identity Card. It is designed to meet various needs of the Nigerian populace.

However, millions like Ade—who registered and waited in vain for a physical ID—may view the new initiative as another ploy by the political elite to enrich their allies. None of the objectives behind the new card is foreign to NIMC, the agency that has failed to issue biometric cards 17 years after its establishment.

NIMC was mandated to: establish a secure and reliable National Identity Database (NIDB); register and issue National Identification Numbers (NIN); issue a General Multipurpose Smart Card with a chip readable by Card Acceptance Devices (CAD) and other electronic media; deploy authentication and verification infrastructure; and harmonize identity data collected by various Ministries, Departments, and Agencies (MDAs). In 17 years, the only major accomplishment is the issuance of NIN numbers. The Tinubu administration’s proposed card features should have been integrated into the original card if it had been consistently issued.

A History of Vested Interests in Nigeria’s Identity Card Projects

The idea of a national identity card emerged during the turbulence of the Nigerian Civil War in 1967, proposed by then Head of State, General Yakubu Gowon. It failed to take off due to the prevailing chaos. The idea resurfaced in 1976 under General Olusegun Obasanjo. Shortly before the end of his administration on September 1, 1979, it was launched under the Directorate of National Civil Registration (DNCR), within the Ministry of Internal Affairs, to register Nigerians aged 18 and above.

The project received $16 million in funding and was contracted to Avant Incorporation, USA

The project received $16 million in funding and was contracted to Avant Incorporation, USA. President Shehu Shagari, who succeeded Obasanjo, revoked and re-awarded the contract to the same company for N56 million, later revised to N90 million due to exchange rate fluctuations. At the time, the naira-dollar exchange rate was still in single digits. Avant had already acquired the necessary equipment when the military took over in 1983.

Under military President Ibrahim Babangida, the contract was reassigned to Afro-Continental, with a nine-month deadline since Avant had already supplied equipment. The interim government of Ernest Shonekan did little, and General Sani Abacha’s regime deprioritized the project. General Abdulsalami Abubakar revived it in 1998 and awarded the contract to a consortium led by Chams Limited Nigeria for $38.4 million.

When Obasanjo returned as civilian president in 1999, he reinvigorated the project in 2001 by awarding a N38 billion ($214 million) contract to Sagem. The card was intended for voter authentication in the 2003 general elections and the 2006 national census. Though 52.64 million Nigerians were registered, and 37.37 million cards issued, the project collapsed due to the bribery scandal involving Sagem. The scandal, adjudicated in a French court, effectively aborted the initiative.

A subsequent legal battle between Chams Plc and NIMC over contract breaches involving MasterCard crippled ID card issuance. The Federal High Court awarded damages of $410,390.60 to Chams and barred NIMC from issuing ID cards with MasterCard’s logo. This judgment stalled card issuance for millions already enrolled in NIMC’s database.

NIMC has failed to integrate them into a unified, reliable database

Multiple Biometric Drives with Little Integration

Between 2007 and 2024, various government agencies subjected Nigerians to biometric registration, capturing facial data and ten fingerprints. These include the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), National Population Commission (NPC), Nigerian Immigration Service (NIS), Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), National Health Insurance Scheme (NHIS), Central Bank of Nigeria (via Bank Verification Number—BVN), Nigerian Communications Commission (via SIM registration), JAMB, and WAEC.

Despite these overlapping drives, NIMC has failed to integrate them into a unified, reliable database. As of 2016, only 9.5 million Nigerians had been enrolled in the NIDB, with just 300,000 ID cards issued from one million e-ID cards produced.

By 2015, N121 billion had been expended on the identity card project

By 2015, N121 billion had been expended on the identity card project. In 2020, the World Bank, in partnership with the European Union, approved a $115 million loan to NIMC under its Identification for Development (ID4D) program, targeting 148 million Nigerians by 2024. The project also received $315 million from the European Investment Bank and the French Development Agency.

This funding accelerated the NIN registration campaign under the “Digital Identity Ecosystem,” which engaged both public and private partners. As of December 2023, 104.16 million Nigerians had been registered—nearly half of the estimated 210 million population. NIMC now aims to enroll 200 million Nigerians by 2025, a target that heavily depends on sustained federal funding.

The Tinubu Administration’s e-ID Card Rollout

The Tinubu government has promised to roll out multipurpose e-ID cards by May 2024 to individuals already issued NINs. This would finally fulfill NIMC’s longstanding mandate to issue physical ID cards. While some argue that physical cards are obsolete in the digital age, many Nigerians—especially in rural areas with limited digital access—still value tangible IDs.

However, the proposal to use the ID card for financial transactions appears redundant. Many Nigerians already use ATM cards linked to their BVNs and NINs. Requiring the new card for financial services may unnecessarily duplicate existing systems. Moreover, the cybersecurity risks are considerable. Nigerian banks are increasingly vulnerable to cyber fraud, as evidenced by ongoing investigations by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) into cybercrime rings.

President Bola Tinubu. Credit: Online

To support the rollout, Nigeria must improve its cybersecurity infrastructure and enact comprehensive data protection laws with a designated regulator. More crucially, NIMC must intensify efforts to enroll all Nigerians. India, with a population of 1.3 billion, has captured over 99% of its adult population. Developed countries like the U.S. (since 1936) and Germany (since 1950) have long-established ID systems.

In contrast, Nigeria’s chaotic 48-year history with identity card schemes continues to be marred by setbacks, scandals, and failed strategies. Unless fundamental reforms are made, the new e-ID card project may be yet another false start.

Current Status as of 2025

As of February 28, 2025, NIMC reported that 117.3 million Nigerians and legal residents had been enrolled in the NIN database—up from 104.16 million in December 2023. Of those enrolled, 56.5% (66.2 million) are male, while 43.5% (51.07 million) are female.

Lagos had the highest number of registrations with 12.6 million, followed by Kano (10.2 million) and Kaduna (6.9 million). Bayelsa and Ebonyi recorded the lowest numbers at 758,111 and 990,775, respectively.

Despite progress, about 95 million Nigerians remain unregistered. Challenges persist, including unauthorized charges by enrollment agents—ranging from N500 for minor updates to N15,000 for birthdate corrections—and limited access in rural areas. Public awareness also remains low, with many citizens registering only when compelled by service requirements like SIM linkage.

Where are the identity cards?

In response, NIMC has deployed over 800 mobile enrollment kits and opened additional offices. A Self-Service Modification Portal now allows online data updates. NIN has become a prerequisite for key services such as passport issuance, driver’s licenses, and school exams.

NIMC plans to reintroduce the General Multipurpose Card (GMPC) and aims to register 200 million Nigerians by 2026. It is also working to achieve 99% service uptime for digital identity verification across sectors.

While some gains have been made, Nigeria’s digital identity journey remains fraught with challenges. One question remains unanswered: where are the identity cards?

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