A new national identity card scheme has been approved by the Federal Government for the country. This signifies a final rejection of the one currently in circulation.
Our correspondent gathered that the government took the decision last week after a review of the current ID card scheme.
The government came to a conclusion that the card was not adequate in solving identification problems in the country.
The Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Mallam Nasir el-Rufai, had earlier on Monday in Lagos hinted on the development while speaking at the inauguration of the Nigerian office by Intel Corporation.
He said government would soon unveil plans for a new ID scheme.
However, investigations by our correspondent revealed that the government came to the conclusion that a new ID scheme should be embarked upon after the Federal Executive council Meeting on Wednesday.
Our correspondent gathered that the new card would be based on smartcard technology.
This means that it will have a chip that contains information about holders.
The current ID card is just a plastic material with virtually all the information displayed on the body of the card.
Our correspondent gathered that due to the shortcomings of the current card and the fact that the project had only been partially successful as less than 60 per cent of Nigerians who registered had actually got the card, the government decided to have a rethink on it.
A committee consisting of experts in the field was set up last year with a mandate of coming up with a card that would truly address the problem of identification in the country.
It was gathered that the government�s decided on the new ID card because identification cards were proliferated in the country.
For instance, besides the current national ID card, there is also one by the National Health Insurance Scheme.
The idea of a national identity card was first mooted in 1978 by President Olusegun Obasanjo, who was then Nigeria�s military ruler. Several contracts to produce identity card have been cancelled by various administrations amid allegations of fraud.
A CEO, who was in the committee set up by government to review the current ID, also confirmed the development, stating, �The new card would bring to an end the problem of identification in the country.�