Segun Ogbonewo, General Manager, Channels Distribution of Access Bank here captures why his bank is involved in the NIMC e-ID project

Access Bank understands the importance of correct and genuine identification. Understanding this makes us to come to the conclusion that it is important for Nigerians to have a true and genuine identity; which means that we know our citizens and who they truly are. We decided therefore to collaborate with NIMC to ensure that this important national scheme is achieved because we also know that as a bank there’s a problem in identifying people. In our dealings with our customers there are quite a number of customers that can present themselves in different ways and forms and so while you’re dealing with the individual, but you’re dealing with him or her in different forms and ways.

So as a bank we therefore see that any scheme that is going to bring about some unique identification of individuals especially using the best and world class methods like the biometrics was going to be very important not just for the national economy but also for the financial services industry. We decided to support the funding of some of the activities of NIMC, for instance, the setting up of enrolment centres, some of the trainings they have done as well as giving support in the area of public enlightenment and education so that people will know the importance of the National Identity Scheme.

As a bank, we’re also the issuing bank and don’t forget that in Nigeria today, Access Bank is one of the largest bank card issuing companies and so what we’ve done therefore is to bring our expertise and knowledge of the industry into the scheme, to ensure that the card we’re using meets the best standards in the world in collaboration with another international partner; MasterCard and then NIMC.

A Card for financial purposes and identification

Essentially and primarily this is an e-ID card, however the unique thing about the card is the payment outlet which gives the holder of the card an opportunity to be able to use the card for payments and collection services. I say this is unique because not many places in the world do you have a situation where your ID card also serves as a payment card. The people who are currently unbanked in Nigeria today, what this means is that we’re taking financial services to them.

The Federal Government and the CBN initiative on inclusive banking is to invite and to bring these people into the formal sector of the economy. Everybody who is working in Nigeria is a part of the economy but the truth is that a lot of them are not captured within the formal economy so what will happen in this case is that when you have this card, it gives you a virtual bank account so that you can operate this account more or less like those who actually go to the bank to have routine bank account which means that the bank will give you an opportunity to be able to make payments, send money out and be able to receive funds into that account. It is like a store of value of funds. You can use it on your ATMs and PoS terminals to make payments for anything you have purchased, and it can also be used on the web. It is also a form of empowerment because what it means is that you can now begin to allow people who don’t have regular bank accounts to actually now begin to transact financially like those who have regular bank account.

Challenges and achievements so far

What we have done is to bring about the technology that we use for our current bank cards into this identity card. There’s not a lot we’re doing differently other than bringing it and matching it with the biometrics, but of course what you’ll have in a situation like this so far is to ensure that the correct data is captured on this and you have a situation where it is impossible for people to masquerade as who they’re not, so part of what NIMC has done so far is to ensure that when you bring this same form of identity to the bank for example, we’ll be very sure that we’re dealing with the same person. Whatever bank you find yourself going into, your identity remains the same thing and so your activities can therefore be properly captured and at the end of the day we’ll be sure that you’re the same person going through all the different places. As of today we don’t have any serious challenge, we envisage that by the time a lot of Nigerians begin to do this registration we’ll need a lot more of infrastructure, people and equipment to be able to do that. Every party in the project has been investing ahead of time and it will seem that it’s a seamless process in ensuring that everybody that needs to have the national ID card gets one.

Access to those in the rural areas

Access Bank has a network of branches across the entire country, but beyond that, recently there was also this initiative by the CBN, talking about agency banking which is trying to know that there’s a limitation today of the number of bank branches that we have at present and there are some rural areas that don’t have the physical structure.

Agency banking is supposed to take the banks to the rural areas where you can have a post office, supermarket or restaurants begin to work as agents of banks. Today we’re already at advanced stage of having relationship with some of them to be able to ensure that they represent us in the rural areas and what they can do therefore is to represent us and make sure that the local people can have access to financial services.

The second also is that you can actually do banking on your electronic device (phones etc.) and in the rural areas at least even if they don’t have a banking structure they have mobile phones. And so what you’ll see again is a collaboration that is going to make sure that the elderly ones in the rural areas can actually have access, which means that their children anywhere in the world can send money on this same card and from their mobile phones they can access this.

The mobile money is also going to be integrated into this and what that means is that your mobile phone is actually your bank. These are going to be developing as we push forward into this.