By Lexi Elo
The National Identity Management Commission, NIMC, the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development (FMARD) have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to integrate Farmers Database and the National Agricultural Payment Initiative (NAPI) with the National Identity Management System (NIMS) deployed by the NIMC.
Sources close to the CBN Governor’s Office confirmed this development last week. The benefits of the National electronic (eID) Card recently launched by President Goodluck Jonathan would soon get to Nigerian farmers.
The collaboration will result in the integration of the FMARD Farmers’ legacy database of 14.5 million. It has also harmonised the process for farmers’ data capture henceforth. Under the MOU, the FMARD and CBN will now use the NIMC’s platform for authentication and verification of farmers’ identity as well as the use of the payment solution in the National eID Card.
Sources close to the Minister’s Office confirmed that the FMARD has adopted the data capture equipment specified by NIMC and NIMC has also adjusted their enrolment software solution and provided a procedure for registered farmers to be enrolled for their National Identity Number (NIN) under the MOU. Also included are the various Farmers Enrolment exercise funded by the Development Partners of FMARD.
The donor agencies had earlier introduced a pilot scheme with the farmers’ database proposed to be hosted abroad but has now been aligned with the NIMS procedure under the MOU, a development the donor agencies are said to be quite happy with.
The Acting General Manager, Enterprise Security and Network Infrastructure Department at NIMC Engr. Emmanuel Ogungbe confirmed the development noting that the resultant Farmers Database was being stored separately and all necessary security protocols had been implemented to ensure that access to it by FMARD was seamless.
He said a special pre-enrolment portal was set up for Farmer Registration because their ‘farmer status’ had to be verified in a specific way. This special arrangement, he said, would be implemented for any of the MDAs that requests for it as part of efforts to comply with Government’s recent Policy Guideline on the harmonization of identity management processes in MDAs.
Engr Ogungbe further confirmed that the eID Cards for the first batch of 11,000 Farmers under the pilot scheme have already been personalized and ready for distribution. This development means that Farmers can now be paid through the use of the payment solution on the eID Card powered by MasterCard and that means they can also use the Internet banking, mobile money, ATMs and POS like any other player in the formal financial system.
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Lending his view, General Manager, Corporate Communication at NIMC, Hamid Umar said the NIMC was only fast tracking the implementation of Mr. President’s directive that the ordinary citizens should benefit from the introduction of the National eID Card and also to integrate all identity management needs of MDAs. It’s just that FMARD and CBN have taken the initiative long ago.
“The pilot scheme for the data capture started in the last quarter of 2013 and we have gone very far,” Umar said, noting that the 11,000 farmers whose eID Cards were ready are amongst the over 5m citizens who have since enrolment for their NIN. Other MDAs like NHIS, PenCom, PTAD etc. are in the process of joining the scheme.
With this development, industry watchers believe it is a matter of time for the CBN Biometric Verification Project to be aligned with the NIMS. From all indications, Nigerian farmers are in for a brighter future.
