{"id":436068,"date":"2011-06-05T00:00:00","date_gmt":"2011-06-05T00:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.ghanamma.net\/2011\/06\/05\/the-next-big-thing-in-nigeria\/"},"modified":"2011-06-05T00:00:00","modified_gmt":"2011-06-05T00:00:00","slug":"the-next-big-thing-in-nigeria","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.ghanamma.com\/2011\/06\/05\/the-next-big-thing-in-nigeria\/","title":{"rendered":"The Next Big Thing In Nigeria"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n

I CHOSE the title of this article from the just-concluded annual e-payment forum organised by Intermac Limited, and sponsored by Kofo Akinkugbe\u2019s Secure ID. The theme of the Forum was \u2018The next Big thing in e-payment. It sounded bizarre. At first. Not so at the end of the forum. Beautiful presentations from the likes of Accenture and Delloitte Touche. Then the big bang from an anti-fraud specialist from Encoded Ltd.<\/p>\n

Like most participants, I was alarmed by the revelation that most of our web-based e-payments are truly not secured. This was demonstrated with proven cases of successful \u2018hijacking\u2018of transactions without having an e-payment account on the web. This very last presentation sent shivers down the spines of everyone at the Forum.\u00a0 That\u2019s where the bad news ended though.<\/p>\n

Two \u2018smart solutions\u2019 are already in place. The first was proposed by Encoded Ltd who say the \u2018PCI DSS\u2019 software (just take like that!) should be employed to specification with commensurate value. It\u2019s a pretty good product they say, and its heart warming that the solution is available. The second, as Demola Aladekomo, md\/ceo Chams Plc put it, is that we need to uniquely identify ourselves so we know who we are and who we are dealing with each time we enter into any transaction.<\/p>\n

Chris Onyemenam, DG\/CEO of National Identity Management Commission presided at the\u00a0 Forum and commented on the progress made so far with the implementation of the National Identity Management System for Nigeria (NIMS). His explanation that the NIMS was now in place and that in spite of the challenges, the proof of concept had commenced as scheduled and the\u00a0 pilot phase will also soon take off.\u00a0 That was good news to me. That\u2019s why I believe that indeed, the national identity management system is the next BIG THING to happen in Nigeria! After the Forum the press took on Chris Onyemenam. I didn\u2019t. As someone who knew part of the story before now, I chose to find out things for myself and appreciate the import of the progress made as claimed.<\/p>\n

After President Obasanjo left office in 2007, I thought the implementation of the NIMS, one of the recommendations of the Nasir el-rufai Committee on Harmonisation of Identification Schemes in Nigeria, was now moribund. I think I have been proved wrong. Slowly, the project has come on stream, scaling the policy review hurdle immediately after President Yar\u2019Adua of blessed memory took over. It is now clear that to his credit he strongly supported its implementation. President Jonathan has continued to support the programme to date.<\/p>\n

I must commend the staying power of the Chris Onyemenam-led management team that has been driving the project. Why? Most of us have become too pessimistic to notice any good thing these days. But hold it there. Can you repudiate a transaction you were involved in and your unique identity was directly and or indirectly confirmed by you before it was concluded? Is it possible to eliminate the\u00a0 \u2018unknown\u2019 syndrome from our public life, I mean the \u2018ghost workers\u2019, \u2018unknown soldiers\u2019, \u2018unknown police\u2019, \u2018unknown assassins\u2019, fictitious bank accounts multiple identities, etc. Imagine what will happen to crime rate and corrupt practices when you cannot deny a transaction you were part of? Masters of advance fee fraud will soon become unemployed. That\u2019s what will begin to happen soon.<\/p>\n

The National Identity Management System NIMS, is progressively being implemented. I took time to understand the distinction and why this project must be supported by the private sector that seems to be the problem now. It has three components, first is the national identity database which requires an infrastructure that will take up to 150 million enrolments of biometric (ten-finger prints, facial and digital signature), then the introduction of Smart Cards and finally the infrastructure that will enable the authentication and verification of the identity of an individual beyond doubt. That must rank as the next big thing to happen in Nigeria if it goes live.<\/p>\n

The SAGEM project which claimed the life of a Minister and smeared the integrity of so many was focused on a somewhat different project: issuing of secure ID Cards. But this new effort is focusing on the concept of one national Database and so many possibilities. As the DG\/CEO of NIMC out it at the Forum, you get registered once and you are identified for life. Simple. It starts by each person filling out a form with his name, date of birth, etc. He places his fingers on one scanner and stares at a camera for a photograph of his face and then his signature is taken. All of these images would then be uploaded to a computer and transmitted to the central processing point in Abuja where the rest would be done.<\/p>\n

Within a few days he will be given a unique national identity number called the NIN with which the images are stored in the database and everything else takes a cue from that. Its something like \u00a0 the much talked about American Social Security number, but more secure. Because each NIN will be tied to biometric markers, it will prove beyond reasonable doubt that anyone who has one is who he says he is. In a country where hundreds of millions of people do not have acceptable identity documents (apologies to the Oluwoles), no proper addresses, etc this will definitely be very useful and should boost a wide range of businesses. That\u2019s the beauty of the new project and I delighted its not just about issuing another ID Card.<\/p>\n

The NIMC, we are told, set up a committee on the harmonisation and integration of identity databases in government agencies and the focus is to ensure resource optimization in government so that duplication of efforts in creating identity database get completely eliminated. This is very commendable, in particular the fact that a Harmonization and Integration assessment study was conducted and the membership of the committee includes all the significant stakeholders \u2013FIRS, FRSC, CAC, NIS, SSS, EFCC, NPF, etc. That there is already a fibre optic linkage between these institutions is even a more cherry news of proven collaboration amongst government agencies deserving of commendation. At last we are beginning to adopt resource optimization through common\/shared services infrastructure in Government.<\/p>\n

The enrolment which would be handled by the private sector requires that when an individual is enrolled, his biometric data is compared with everyone else\u2019s in the National Identity Database to ensure that there\u00a0 is no duplication. Private sector involvement will ensure sustainability but care must be taken not rip off Government, simply because the ID Cards are not paid for.<\/p>\n

It is interesting that this project is being built with significant local content and manpower. When completed it will improve service delivery and reduce corruption in government institutions and the private sector institutions. In particular we can begin to account for the numerous subsidies Government grants as no one would be able to hijack these subsidies anymore.<\/p>\n

It will significantly reduce frauds that related to identity and because the NIMS is an open platform, businesses will be able to graft inventive applications onto it. It will encourage financial inclusion and all the benefits that accrue from that.<\/p>\n

Law and order would be easier to maintain and all kinds of insurance policies would be much cheaper, and it will boost consumer credit and this will impact the production dynamics positively and help create employment and other economic opportunities. A secure identity system will help eliminate the need for multiple registration for various examinations and school administration imperatives.<\/p>\n

The level of privacy not withstanding it would help in socio-economic planning and business development. It is again heart warming to note that the NIMC people found time to commission privacy impact assessment studies to enable the determination of the level of privacy risks that would be involved in the management of this system.<\/p>\n

The benefits are so wide ranging that it is difficult to understand why government funding of this project has been unstable over the life of the young institution.\u00a0 Recently the NIPOST was said to be involved in discussion with the NIMC for the distribution of the NIN and the ID Cards when they are finally issued, NIMC should be careful not to add the burden of the NIPOST onto this young project.<\/p>\n

But the plan by the Nigerian Interbank Settlement Scheme to connect to the NIMS and use it to authenticate and verify identities of all transactions is very commendable and I must say that the CBN should hasten to adopt the same NIMS as the most secure proof of KYC. If this is done the business community will benefit immensely from this soft infrastructure which promises to blossom like the telecoms sector in no distant time.<\/p>\n

But care must be taken though to ensure that the project is sustained. Nigeria is tired of huge budgetary allocations to for Voter registration. It must be noted that INEC\u2019s Prof Jega said recently in a television interview that the data INEC collected with technical assistance for the NIMC will be useful in building the National Identity Database.<\/p>\n

To the Nigerian managers at the NIMC we say a big congratulations against the background that while Britain has put off plans for biometric identity cards partly because of worries about soaring costs and technical snafus, India has since moved on with rapid speed. So have countries like Finland, Germany, Span, Pakistan, to mention a few.<\/p>\n

\u00a0<\/p>\n

Adekeye, a company executive, writes from Lagos<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/p>\n

Read the original:
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