National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the nation’s ID agency, said it has closed a deal with IDEMIA Smart Identity of France to upgrade Nigeria’s biometric identity system.
The agreement, NIMC said, reached on February 28, 2024, signals a transformative leap forward, poised to elevate Nigeria’s biometric capabilities to match global standards, including India’s Aadhaar system.
According to the Nigerian ID agency, the upgraded biometric system is slated to handle one million 1:1 and 1:N identity verification searches daily, a testament to its unprecedented power and efficiency. Originally designed to support 100 million records, the system has already neared its capacity, currently standing at approximately 90 million records. This upgrade is imperative to accommodate Nigeria’s entire population, aligning with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals target for 2030, which advocates for universal access to legal identity.
According to the Nigerian ID agency, the upgraded biometric system is slated to handle one million 1:1 and 1:N identity verification searches daily, a testament to its unprecedented power and efficiency. Originally designed to support 100 million records, the system has already neared its capacity, currently standing at approximately 90 million records.
NIMC: Biometric ID upgrade will match global standards
One of the key highlights of the system upgrade is its compliance with OSIA, an open standard set of interfaces that facilitate seamless connectivity across all components of the identity management ecosystem. This integration underscores a concerted effort towards ensuring interoperability and accessibility within Nigeria’s digital identity framework.
Expressing pride in the collaboration, Olivier Charlanes, Senior Vice President of Middle East and Africa at IDEMIA Smart Identity, emphasised the company’s dedication to supporting Nigeria’s populace. He stated, “We are very proud to continue our long-standing collaboration with NIMC for the greater good of Nigeria’s growing population. The new powerful system is future-proof and will ensure that all Nigerians have access to a secured, trusted identity, enabling them to exercise their rights and responsibilities as a citizen.”
Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, CEO of NIMC and Chairman of the OSIA Advisory Committee, echoed Charlanes’ sentiments, emphasising the significance of the partnership in delivering optimal solutions to Nigerian citizens. “Taking this next step in the enhancement of our system with IDEMIA Smart Identity was a natural choice for us. We wanted to ensure that we deliver the best-in-class solution to our fellow Nigerians, and the pure power of the biometric matching we will receive ensures that the solution is future-proof for our growing population,” according to the NIMC CEO.
