The Federal Government, through the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), has reaffirmed its commitment to launching the upgraded national identity card, the General Multipurpose Card (GMPC), early this year.

A statement from NIMC described the new National ID Card as a single, multifunctional card designed to eliminate the need for multiple separate cards.

The card, developed in collaboration with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigeria Inter-bank Settlement System (NIBSS), will be powered by AfriGO, a domestic card scheme licensed by the CBN to facilitate cost-effective and transparent card payments.

Currently, the 26 commercial and microfinance banks in Nigeria are issuing AfriGo cards.

NIMC stated that the new GMPC will provide cardholders with a convenient way to prove their identity and access both government and private sector services.

Regarding the voters’ card, NIMC mentioned that discussions with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are ongoing to explore the possibility of merging the identification functions into one card.