Contrary to recent reports, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has said that the National e-Identity Card will not be used as an alternative travelling document to the international passport. Mr Tunji Durodola, Head, Card Management Service, NIMC, while reacting to the report said: "The Commission cannot be canvassing the use of the new national e-ID Card as an alternative to the international passport when that is the exclusive statutory responsibility of the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS)."
He added that although one of the 13 applets found in the National e-ID Card has travel functionality for certain types of travels, the decision to adopt the e-ID Card and the operational modalities remain the responsibility of the NIS. "If and when it decides on this, the process can then be defined and implemented by the NIS which has the sole responsibility for migration management in Nigeria as the issuing authority for passport and travel documents in line with ICAO regulations," he said.
According to Vanguard, Durodola also explained that even where there are regional requirements in the ECOWAS, which is part of the reasons for the inclusion of the ICAO-Travel functionality in the e-ID Card, it can only be adopted and implemented by the NIS which has the responsibility by law to provide international passport and related documents for citizens who wish to travel out of the country.
He said that the Commission was deeply embarrassed by the recent reports and therefore clarified that although the applet on the Card issued to Nigerians is a bonafide Machine Readable Travel Document (MRTD), recognized by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the NIS has to approve its use before it can become a travel document recognized by NIS and therefore all such institutions with which NIS has bilateral and or collaborating/reciprocating relationship because travel documents are the sole, statutory and exclusive responsibility of the NIS.
Durodola said: "For any country to recognize the use of the National e-ID Card for cross-border travel, its usage must be the product of a bilateral agreement and NIS runs the show in that respect, we have only provided an early and appropriate means of achieving that so we do optimize the resources we have as is done in Europe. That's all we did. For this to be possible, the Nigeria Immigration Service alone not even with NIMC, must approve the process."
He regrets the impression that has been given and the embarrassment to the Management of both NIMC and the NIS who have a very cordial and meaningful working relationship on the management of the ongoing enrolment of citizens and legal residents, noting that "NIMC has enough on its hands; managing the central depository of a single version of truth on individuals identities in the country, to want to canvass the takeover of the statutory responsibility of another agency.
"We are mindful of the developments in the ECOWAS Region about national identity cards and just wanted to be ready ahead of time, but while informing and educating Nigerians on the use cases of the Card, we did not at any time say that the Card can be used as an alternative to the international passport; but it was necessary that Nigerians know it has an applet that can function as a travel document," he said.
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