E-Business
Why & How We Engaged MasterCard in eID Card- NIMC
National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), has explained MasterCard’s involvement in the national identity registration programme, while refuting claims, in several quarters, of adequacies regarding the card’s payment components.
President Goodluck Jonathan had on August 28, 2014, heralded the official launch of the eID card pilot scheme.
As part of the pilot phase, NIMC has started to issue identify cards with MasterCard’s electronic payments functionality, which raised eyebrows among stakeholders in the IT and financial sectors of the economy.
Speaking in Lagos during a media roundtable, Chris Onyemenam, director general of NIMC, said that MasterCard was engaged to only provide the payments technology on the eID, in accordance with international standards.
He said, “MasterCard is providing the payments technology for 13million National eID Cards as part of the pilot programme. On completion of the pilot programme, NIMC will announce which payment partner will be brought on board, in addition to MasterCard, for the mass rollout of the National eID Cards”.
On how MasterCard was selected for the programme, the DG said, “MasterCard presented it’s payments solution and business proposal to NIMC for the National eID Card business together with other card schemes and companies. The three popular schemes, approved and licenced by the Central Bank to operate in Nigeria and with significant business relationship with the Nigerian deposit money banks, we’re invited to submit proposals to NIMC. The most responsive and willing vendors was MasterCard”.
NIMC announced its selection of MasterCard as the payments technology provider for the Nigerian National eID pilot programme in May 2013 at the World Economic Forum on Africa held in South Africa.
Explains why MasterCard was selected to the expense of Local companies, Onyemenam, said that, “Let’s get it very clear, all existing payment platforms have been licenced and approved to operate in the local market by the CBN, which ‘opened up’ the market as it were. Secondly, there is really no local company except if you are referring to the former locally-owned company in Nigeria, which also has significant foreign partners in the US.
“The reason why NIMC selected MasterCard is due to its deep experience with similar large-scale government programs around the world, its commitment to advancing financial inclusion in Nigeria and importantly, MasterCard’s ability to meet all the functional, technological and economic requirements of the project.
“MasterCard is also the world’s most-accepted payment brand, meaning that Nigerians can use their cards to pay at millions of MasterCard locations in Nigeria and across the border. MasterCard was also able to quickly develop a mutually-beneficial business roadmap that met all the requirements of the NIMC project plan and timelines. Others are just responding and will be considered accordingly”.
The NIMC DG refuted claims that MasterCard can access personal information and biometric data of the National eID cardholder, thus, “MasterCard’s prepaid technology is just one of the card’s 13 different applications, five of which are currently live. MasterCard payments technology is stored securely and separately from other applets, including the card’s identification applets. In fact, there is a firewall between the payment applets and all the other applets so not even a Point of Sale terminal or ATM can access the secured data that is protected on certain parts of the card.
Also speaking, Daniel Monehin, division president, Sub-Saharan Africa, MasterCard, explained that the Corporation is not involved in the identification component of the program and cannot access the national identification database, any citizen’s personal or biometric information.
He said, “MasterCard never collects personal information of cardholders. All payments account specific information is managed by MasterCard’s issuing financial institutions, they are the banks. All personal identification data including biometric and demographic information is collected, managed and secured by NIMC”.
Expatiating on the payments technology deployed by Mastercard under the program, Monehin said the eID card is a chip and pin card certified according to the EuroPay, Mastercard and Visa (EMV) standard for globally interoperable, secure payments, which is mandated by the Federal Government, and it is approved and licenced by the CBN.
The key element of the EMV involves dynamic digital data in every transaction.
“This makes these types of transactions extremely secure and reduces the risk of fraud. When a customer uses an EMV-enabled card to pay at an EMV terminal, it can be instantly identified as an authentic, approved payment instrument belonging to that consumer through a process called dynamic authentication. When used with a personal identification number (PIN), the chip verifies that the consumer is indeed holding his or her own payment card,” he said.
According to him, about 70% of adults in Nigeria who are financial excluded can be integrated into the system through the eID card program, while eliminating the need to carry large amount of cash, among other benefits.
Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence (AI) Division within its ICT Department.
This marks a significant stride toward enhancing electoral integrity, efficiency, and innovation in Nigeria’s democratic process.
This decision was reached at the Commission’s regular weekly meeting held in Abuja, following a series of consultations and engagements on the global and continental impact of AI on elections.
In a statement issued by Sam Olumekun, national commissioner and chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, INEC underscored that the growing relevance of AI in electoral matters necessitated a proactive institutional framework to manage both the risks and opportunities it presents.
“Our interactions with electoral bodies across Africa highlighted both the risks of AI—such as fake news and content manipulation—and the vast potential it holds for data-driven decision-making, risk mitigation, automated voter services, and geo-spatial intelligence for logistics,” Olumekun noted.
According to him, the newly created division will centralise the Commission’s AI efforts, ensuring a harmonized approach to deploying intelligent systems that enhance decision-making, improve voter engagement, and boost the credibility of the electoral process.
“The creation of this division puts the Commission at the forefront of institutionalizing AI capabilities in electoral management.
It is also part of our ongoing reforms in areas where administrative action is sufficient to drive change,” he said.
He added that the AI Division will help INEC better coordinate its existing technological investments while providing safeguards against the misuse of AI technologies.
“We are positioning ourselves to maximise the positive impact of AI while mitigating its negative implications. This step strengthens the credibility and transparency of elections in Nigeria,” Olumekun concluded.
The initiative, INEC emphasised, reflects its commitment to embracing innovation in safeguarding democracy and improving electoral services nationwide.
Corporate Affairs Commission (CAC) in partnership with the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS) has unveiled a new Application Programming Interface (API) integration system to allow private firms access company data from the Commission’s database.
Hussaini Ishaq Magaji (SAN), registrar general of CAC, who spoke in Abuja at the unveiling said the system would give selected private organizations access to CAC services through technology-based companies, called “super agents.”
“This is a practical step to show that the Commission is committed to meeting the expectations of our customers,” he said.
Magaji explained that the integration allows the agents to retrieve data from the CAC database for use in specific client requests, outside the standard services provided by the Commission.
“Before now, only a few government agencies had this integration, especially those involved in investigations, anti-money laundering, and terrorism financing. Now, private companies that meet the criteria can also access it,” he said.
He said the system complies with the Nigerian Data Protection Act 2023, and information such as residential addresses, phone numbers, and dates of birth may be restricted.
“This is a call to law firms and companies with the right technology. We’ve started with NIPS because of their credibility. Embassies and banks can now authenticate company records directly through them.”
“There are prescribed fees. We already collect them on our portal, and now customers can also pay through these agents,” he explained.
He named NIPS, MoneyPoint, and OPE as some of the companies involved.
“OPE and MoneyPoint handle only registrations. But NIPS has moved further into validation and verification,” he said.
Ngover Ihyembe-Nwankwo, executive director at NIBSS, who represented Premier Oiwoh, managing director, said the service allows secure and efficient data verification.
“This is the result of years of effort to connect our systems with CAC. It will help users verify data within the limits of data protection laws,” she said.
She said the move is a way to lower costs and promote interoperability across the financial sector.
Ministry of Interior has announced the launch of a new Online Citizenship and Business Management Platform in line with the Renewed Hope Agenda of President Bola Tinubu.
A statement signed by Dr Magdalene Ajani, permanent secretary, Ministry of Interior’s said the initiative forms a key part of its ongoing reforms aimed at promoting transparency, enhancing operational efficiency, and significantly improving service delivery to the public.
The new digital platform is designed to streamline the application and processing of citizenship and business-related services, ensuring faster turnaround times and improved user experience.
The platform allows users to apply for and manage business permits, ensuring that both local and foreign businesses operate legally in Nigeria.
It includes an Expatriate Quota System to manage work permits for foreign employees, helping companies hire skilled workers while complying with Nigeria’s immigration laws.
The Citizenship Administration and Management System provides a streamlined online process for applying, tracking, and managing Nigerian citizenship applications and related services.
Members of the public, corporate entities, and other stakeholders are expected to access the platform through the ministry’s website: https://interior.gov.ng , Direct Portal Access: https://candb.interior.gov.ng , or contact candb-support@interior.gov.ng for support and inquiries.
“The Ministry of Interior remains committed to establishing a more efficient, transparent, and secure framework for citizenship administration, while continuously enhancing service delivery through digital transformation,” the statement read in part.
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