World Bank to provide digital IDs for millions of Nigerians by 2024

The World Bank has announced a plan to collaborate with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to provide digital national IDs for all Nigerians of working age by the middle of 2024. The project aims to register at least 148 million people, or about 75% of the population, as a step towards improving inclusion and accessibility.

The World Bank Country Director for Nigeria, Shubham Chaudhuri, said that the bank is committed to ending poverty, enhancing lives, and creating jobs for the country’s youth. He also said that the bank will support Nigeria in expanding its broadband infrastructure and connectivity, as well as developing digital skills and applications.

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Bosun Tijani, revealed that the Nigerian government has secured access to about half a billion dollars in funding to start a local funding program for innovation and entrepreneurship in the digital sector. He said that the program will provide grants, loans, and equity to startups and small businesses that are using digital technologies to solve social problems.

According to a report by Dalberg, a global consulting firm, digital ID can have multiple benefits for Nigeria, such as boosting the economy, reducing poverty, enhancing security, preventing fraud, empowering women, promoting gender equality, supporting innovation, entrepreneurship, regional integration, and cross-border cooperation.

The report estimates that digital ID can increase Nigeria’s GDP by up to 13% by 2030, lifting 29 million people out of poverty. It also states that digital ID can enable access to financial services, social protection, and e-commerce for millions of people who are currently excluded or underserved.

The report also highlights the challenges and risks of implementing digital ID in Nigeria, such as data privacy, security, governance, interoperability, affordability, and accessibility. It recommends that Nigeria adopts a human-centered approach to designing and delivering digital ID systems that are inclusive, trustworthy, and sustainable.

The World Bank and the NIMC have not yet disclosed the details of how the digital ID project will be implemented or what technology will be used. However, they have stated that they will follow the principles of the ID4D initiative, which is a global partnership that promotes responsible and inclusive digital identification systems.