…Minister of Interior, Aregbesola says the world has gone digital and Nigeria should follow suit
The Minister of Interior, Rauf Aregbesola, on Thursday, said the Federal Government had finalised its plans to replace plastic identification cards with digital for Nigerians.
Aregbesola revealed this while briefing the newsmen at the State House after leading the committee members on Citizen Data Management and Harmonisation to President Muhammadu Buhari for presentation of their reports at the Presidential Villa, Abuja.
The former governor of Osun State affirmed the plastic cards were only symbolic while the main factor should be the identification number.
He said, “The card is just for convenience. The real thing is the number you have. With that number, you are on the data bank. Everything about you is there. We are just upgrading it such that your DNA too will be there very soon. Even if you are in a car, I will know if you are the one in the car with your DNA. It is already captured. You are already captured, you cannot run away anymore.”
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While speaking on the same issue, the Minister of Communication and Digital Economy, Isa Patami, said the country was no longer referring to cards.
“What the chairman (Aregbesola) is saying now is that we are no more talking about cards, the world has gone digital, so that card is no more.
“Our priority now is the digital ID. It will be attached to your database wherever you are. So if you can memorize it by heart, wherever you go, that central database domiciled with NIMC will be able to provide the number and every one of your data will be provided.
“Now, our focus is no longer on producing cards. That card is only for record but what is important is the digital ID and if you notice, we have started using the digital ID on the international passport. Once you have the digital ID but not the card, we are 100 percent done with you,” Pantami said.
