The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has partnered with the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) to introduce a multi-purpose Government-to-People (G2P) card.
The Guardian reports that this card will enable students to access loans and administrative services more easily.
The G2P card is designed to be payment-enabled, allowing students to receive and manage their loans without relying on traditional banks.
With features like point of sale (POS), automated teller machine (ATM), and web payment functionalities, among others, the card aims to streamline access to funds and digital services.
The MoU for the groundbreaking initiative was signed by the Managing Director of NELFUND, Akintunde Sawyerr, and the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, alongside the Managing Director of Data Mining Company, Femi Akande, at NELFUND headquarters on Friday in Abuja.
In his remarks, Sawyerr described the MoU as a groundbreaking event to drive financial inclusion and promote transparency and accountability through the deployment of the Government-to-People Card.
He expressed the commitment of NELFUND management to the project, adding that the MoU would open a new vista for Nigerian students to access loans seamlessly using multiple wallets as facilitated by the biometric-enabled card from NIMC.
The NELFUND MD highlighted the immense support of NIMC for the success being recorded in the administration and disbursement of loans to students by providing essential identity verification services.
“I’m impressed with the work NIMC is doing. Without NIMC, NELFUND literally cannot function,” he said.
He commended President Bola Tinubu for rolling out socio-economic programmes that would change the narrative for Nigerian students, saying the Renewed Hope Agenda of the administration would have far-reaching positive impacts on Nigerian students.
On her part, the Director-General of the Commission, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, explained that the biometric-enabled cards are part of the products from NIMC to drive digital and financial inclusion and ensure that every single beneficiary of government services (loans) has a verifiable identity.
She added that the biometric-enabled cards have multiple wallets for students and could be used online and offline to access loans and other services.
Speaking furthe, the NIMC boss said the cards would also make it possible to track loan disbursements and ensure they are used for the intended purposes, noting that it would promote transparency and accountability and eliminate unnecessary bureaucracy.
“The biometric-enabled cards are unique in promoting digital and financial inclusion because of the layers of features in them. They cannot be forged or faked.
“They have features that make cash available in students’ wallets… The students can easily access their allowances, buy books, and make transfers without waiting for banks. The cards operate online and offline,” Coker-Odusote said.
