Nigeria: National identity card, including the conditions for obtaining it, the documents required, the competent authorities which issue it, the date of the first issuance, and a detailed description of the card and its functions; whether a Nigerian citizen living outside Nigeria can obtain a national identity card (2002-October 2004)
| Publisher | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada |
| Author | Research Directorate, Immigration and Refugee Board, Canada |
| Publication Date | 5 November 2004 |
| Citation / Document Symbol | NGA42955.FE |
| Reference | 1 |
| Cite as | Canada: Immigration and Refugee Board of Canada, Nigeria: National identity card, including the conditions for obtaining it, the documents required, the competent authorities which issue it, the date of the first issuance, and a detailed description of the card and its functions; whether a Nigerian citizen living outside Nigeria can obtain a national identity card (2002-October 2004), 5 November 2004, NGA42955.FE, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/42df61422f.html [accessed 17 September 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
First issuance and competent authorities
Sources indicated that the registration process for obtaining a national identity card in Nigeria began in February 2003 (IRIN 4 Mar. 2003; Nigeria First 18 Feb. 2003; Nigeria Business Info.com 18 Feb. 2003; The Daily Sun 3 May 2004; BBC 18 Feb. 2003). The new national identity card is already in circulation, but the date on which its distribution began varied among the sources consulted (Nigerian High Commission 31 Aug. 2004; BBC 20 Apr. 2004; The Daily Sun 3 May 2004; This Day 25 July 2004).
A consular officer at the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa indicated in correspondence dated 31 August 2004 that the distribution of the new identity card began in 2003, but he did not specify a date. A copy of an identity card from the Nigerian High Commission is attached; it shows the date and place of issuance as 24 April 2003 in Abuja. However, a 20 April 2004 BBC article reported that a celebration marking the first distribution of the card had taken place on 19 April 2003, while a 3 May 2004 article in The Daily Sun stated that a ceremony organized in the Abuja district marked the first distribution of the Nigerian identity card. According to a 25 July 2004 article in This Day, the Minister of Internal Affairs was to proceed with the launch of the distribution of identity cards in the State of Bayelsa the following day.
With regard to the competent authorities responsible for the distribution of these cards, Dr. Iyorchia Ayu, the Nigerian Minister of Internal Affairs, said in an interview published in The News on 9 August 2004 that his ministry had started the distribution of the identity cards.
Criteria and documents required for obtaining a national identity card
According to various sources, a Nigerian citizen needs only to be 18 years or older to obtain a new national identity card (Nigerian High Commission 31 Aug. 2004; The Daily Sun 3 May 2004; Nigeria First 18 Feb. 2003; Nigeria Business Info.com 18 Feb. 2003; IRIN 4 Mar. 2003). Nigeria Business Info.com indicated that candidates had to provide certain information when registering, such as their name, age, sex, occupation, and address, including the state, Local Government Area (LGA) and electoral district of origin (18 Feb. 2004).
No information on whether an identity card applicant had to submit certain documents attesting to the validity of the information provided could be found among the sources consulted by the Research Directorate.
As for Nigerians who live outside the country, a consular officer at the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa stated that these people could not yet obtain a new national identity card (18 Feb. 2003). However, Nigeria First indicated that the registration process that began in February 2003 was supposed to include Nigerians living abroad (18 Feb. 2003).
Various functions of the card
Corroborating sources indicated that the new identity card was to serve not only for identification purposes and for the validation of other documents, such as passports and driver's licences, but also as a tool for controlling migration flows, generating data for government planning, and detecting crimes (IRIN 4 Mar. 2003; Nigeria Business Info.com 18 Feb. 2003; Nigeria First 18 Feb. 2003; BBC 20 Apr. 2004). The national identity card was also expected "to facilitate access to healthcare delivery, education, library facilities . . . and commercial transactions in such places like banks and post offices" (Nigeria Business Info.com 18 Feb. 2003; see also IRIN 4 Mar. 2003).
Description of the card
From the attached copy of the identity card provided by the Nigerian High Commission in Ottawa, it can be seen that the following information appears on the front of the card: the bearer's surname, first name, middle name, maiden name, occupation, place of residence (address, city or village), height, sex and blood type. A passport-size photograph of the bearer also appears on the front of the card. In correspondence sent to the Research Directorate, a consular officer stated that the photograph is digital (Nigerian High Commission 31 Aug. 2004). Nigeria Business Info.com indicated that an officer of the Department of the National Civil Registration (DNCR) measures candidates and takes their fingerprints and photograph when they register for the card (18 Feb. 2003).
The date and place of issuance appear on the back of the card with the information identifying the bearer (surname, first name, address), as well as three numbers (two are digital and the other alphanumerical). These are the "Seq Number" (sequence number), the "ID Form Number" and the "Personal Number." A magnetic strip also appears on the back of the national identity card.
This Response was prepared after researching publicly accessible information currently available to the Research Directorate within time constraints. This Response is not, and does not purport to be, conclusive as to the merit of any particular claim for refugee protection. Please find below the list of additional sources consulted in researching this Information Request.
References
BBC. 20 April 2004. "Nigeria's New ID Card Launched."
_____. 18 February 2003. "Nigerian ID Scheme Kicks Off."
The Daily Sun [Abuja]. 3 May 2004. James Ojo. "National Identity Card: Woman Turns Superstar."
Integrated Regional Information Networks (IRIN). 4 March 2003. United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs. "Nigeria: IRIN Focus on National Registration Programme."
Nigeria Business Info.com. 18 February 2003. "Nigerians Register for National Identity Card from Today."
Nigeria First. 18 February 2003. "National Identity Card Scheme Takes off."
Nigerian High Commission, Ottawa. 31 August 2004. Correspondence from a consular officer.
The News [Lagos]. 9 August 2004. Francis Ottah Agbo. "National ID Card Will Reconcile Nigerians" (AllAfrica).
This Day [Lagos]. 25 July 2004. John Iwori. "Issuance of National Identity Card Begins" (AllAfrica).
Attachment
Nigerian High Commission, Ottawa. 31 August 2004. Copy of an identity card.
Additional Sources Consulted
The Canadian diplomatic mission to Nigeria did not respond to a request for information within the time constraints for this Response.
Internet sites, including: AllAfrica, Ecoi.net, Government of Nigeria, ReliefWeb, United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), United States Department of State.