By Emmanuel Ogbodo
Olatunji Durodola, Founder and Chief Innovation Officer of UrbanID Global, a digital identity solutions company, has explained why Nigeria may face significant difficulties in issuing physical ID cards to its citizens. In an interview with Nairametrics, Durodola pointed out that the lack of sufficient infrastructure and the high cost of issuing physical cards are major obstacles.
He mentioned that while there is a demand for physical identity tokens, “the support infrastructure is fragile and very capital intensive.” Recently, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) announced that Nigerians registered under the National Identification Number (NIN) system will soon be able to request an e-ID card that includes payment functionality for social and financial services.
Durodola clarified that although e-ID cards and payment cards, such as ATM cards, may appear similar, “their implementation, issuance, and lifecycle are very different.” He also recalled that in November 2013, Nigeria introduced one of the world’s most advanced e-ID cards, but the project failed due to inadequate infrastructure. NIMC was unable to maintain its issuance system or acquire the necessary high-performance card printing machines.
“The issuance of cards for free was also a challenge for companies who had installed capacity to personalise those cards. The sticky point was how they would be paid. So it eventually died.”
From 2020 to 2024, Nigeria led Africa in issuing Mobile IDs, capitalising on the widespread use of smartphones. However, “public awareness was lacking,” according to Durodola. Despite this, 23 million Mobile IDs were issued, a success largely attributed to word of mouth. He noted that all these achievements were made possible by local talent.
“All these developments were by 100% local talent – and it worked! Accolades around the world again. Yet, it would seem the trend is now to go back to physical cards,” Durodola remarked.
He added that the World Bank had advised against issuing physical cards, as they rely heavily on foreign expertise. Durodola explained that Nigeria does not manufacture the necessary components of operating systems for the cards, which means the country would need to pay foreign vendors in their own currencies, such as USD or Euro. “They want our money, but not our currency,” he added.
When asked about the recent alleged breach of the NIN database, Durodola underscored the need for strict identity verification measures to protect personal data from unauthorised access. He warned that loosening restrictions for business interests could have dire consequences.
Durodola emphasised that every transaction involving a person’s identity should be carefully monitored, and that ID holders must be informed about how their identity is being used. He criticised the common practice of companies keeping unauthorised copies of identity information, which exposes it to potential breaches. He also highlighted that many systems grant access to personal information without the ID holder’s consent.
To address these concerns, Durodola urged the adoption of stronger data privacy measures, ensuring that any access to personal data requires explicit consent from the ID holder. He added that UrbanID Global is committed to helping Nigeria set a standard for data privacy among developing economies.
