Facts about the National eID

Card
Now that the National eID Card has been formally launched, a lot of questions are being
asked, which needs to be cleared up.
If anyone has any doubt as to the authenticity and accuracy of what is contained below,
they should kindly back up their claims with real facts and proof so as not to mislead the
General Public.
irstly, the new National eID Card issued by the National Identity !anagement
Commission "NI!C# is primarily a National Identity Card with a $martCard built%in,
containing pro&ision for up to '( applets, of which ) are acti&ated when an applicant
picks up his*her Card.
Fact: Access to National Database by MasterCard or other foreign
companies/Governments
The National Identity Database is not open to inspection by ANY party, home or abroad.
There is absolutely no provision for any foreign Government or body to access the
database.
Masterard is providing functionality for ! of the " applets, #ust as you have $ith your ATM
ards. No one complains that your name is on the ATM card, or that that information may
be held in America. The concern here is biometric data and other demographic information
such as ne%t of &in and so on. Masterard D!" N# $A%! and &I'' N!%!( have
access to such information.
Any suggestion that Masterard, 'isa, or any other foreign body $ill gain access to the
database is pure (ction not bac)ed up $ith evidence.
This is N*T the same as veri(cation services, $hich is $here an +mbassy may re,uest to
verify a person-s National Identi(cation Number .NIN/ to ascertain that the person
re,uesting a visa is the genuine article. It is done all over the $orld, and the provision for
NIN on the 'isa application forms for many countries such as 0&, 01 and even 1chenghen
states, $as not introduced because of Nigeria-s NIN.
Fact: Applets
The applets active $hen you pic) up your card include2
)* Match+on+Card
This is $here a secure terminal matches a speci(c (ngerprint against that loc)ed a$ay on
The ard. Too many attempts, and the applet is bloc)ed for security reasons.
That $ay, an agency or concerned body can be sure that the person presenting the ard is
the true o$ner. It is no di3erent than $hat is currently done $ith your International
4assport.
,* ICA
The National Identity ard is also a travel document and conforms to the same standards
.IA* 5676 8ev 9/ as International 4assports and National Identity ards of other nations
$hich have TD! functionality built in. It is hoped that the document $ill be used for
+*:A1 travel .$ithout the need for a 4assport/, as the applet ANN*T be forged. NIM
has its o$n Document 1igner .D1/, on behalf of the ;ederal 8epublic of Nigeria. 1o $e are
not sending certi(cates re,uests .18s/ outside Nigeria to be signed for this applet.
-* .ayment
In the (rst phase, Masterard is o3ering payment functionality for the ard. There is a
(re$all bet$een this applet and all the other applets so not even a 4*1 terminal can access
the secure data protected by +A9 on certain parts of the ard. As stated earlier, the
National Database is N*T the business of Masterard and never $ill be. 'ater on/ 0e 0ill
have %isa and %erve Cards as alternatives to MasterCard* MasterCard 0ill only be
available on the 1rst )- million Cards*
2* e+ID
This is the MAIN applet. The electronic ID applet, $hich contains some of the information
submitted during enrolment. *ther information such as address are also available on the
ard but protected by higher levels of access control called +A9. The NIN is also loc)ed
a$ay in +A9 protection.
Most information is N*T available on the ard, such as ne%t of &in, parentage and so on.
These are only available in the National Identity Database .NID</.
3* e+.4I
This applet contains strong certi(cates $hich allo$ for document signing, non=repudiation,
encryption and so on.
NIM has conformed to International <est 4ractices to provide this applet. The Non=
repudiation simply means that $here a person has digitally signed a document $ith his>her
ard using the e=4&I applet, the person ANN*T turn around tomorro$ and say ?I didn-t
sign this document, it-s a forgery@. ;or this to occur, aside from the applet, other security
measures have been put in place to ensure that indeed, a person $on-t be able to deny
his>her document signature.
Fact: %eri1cation "ervices
Any embassy $ishing to participate in veri(cation services in the near future $ill need to go
through a very stringent and rigorous approval process. NIM $ill then o3er a !=to=many
service, meaning that a NIN is supplied via a secure channel to NIM-s veri(cation platform
and then a loo)up is done against the National Database.
Fact: .ublic 4ey Infrastructure
NIM is the custodian of the National Identity Database and $e $ould be contravening so
many national security la$s if $e ever share this information $ith unauthorised persons or
entities.
The Department of 1tate 1ecurity .D11/ has scrutinised NIM and can attest that The
ommission has put all )inds of processes and security measures in place to avoid such
breaches of National 1ecurity.
NIM has even gone as far as implementing its o$n 4&I Infrastructure, $hich means that
Digital erti(cates and &eys issued for each individual are not sent out for signing, but are
signed internally as Nigeria no$ has its o$n 8egistration Authority .8A/ and ountry 1igning
erti(cate of Authority .1A/ as $ell as a host of other 4&I systems thereby negating the
need to depend on a foreign Government to sign our certi(cates. Nigeria has its o$n *ID
.for those $ho )no$ $hat that means/ and $e had to apply through the 1tandards
*rganisation of Nigeria .1*N/ and the IT0. :hich means that Nigeria-s 8A is recognised by
IA* $orld$ide, ma)ing our ard a globally=acceptable Identity ard $hich conforms to
International 1tandards.
Fact: "hutdo0n of Infrastructure by MasterCard or 5*" Government
In the unli)ely event that Nigeria has problems $ith the 01 Government similar to the issue
$ith 8ussia, the only part of the entire ard that can be shut do$n is the payment applet.
This applet is only ! of !6 on the ard. It has A<1*A0T+AY N*TBING to do $ith the e4&I,
eID, Mo, Ta%, 'oter, Travel, Bealth or other applets.
It is N# a glori1ed payment Card/ but a National Identity Card o6ering a myriad
of functions of 0hich/ one is payment*
#un7i Durodola
Bead, ard Management 1ervices
National Identity Management ommission