The Federal Government of Nigeria has signed a concessional agreement for the production of ECOWAS biometric Identity cards.
While signing the agreement with a Private Company- Messrs Euphoria Press Limited- in Abuja on Tuesday, the minister of Interior, Abdulrahman Dambazau, said the agreement is for 10 years.
Dambazau, who disclosed that the production of the cards will cost N14.7bn, said 13million cards were to be produced within the ten years period.
The minister said the production of the cards will be financed by the private company while the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) will be the issuing body.
Dambazau said the Federal Executive Council had given the approval last year, for the production and issuance of the card to Nigerians.
“It is my pleasure therefore, to inform Nigerians that in the shortest time possible, the former ECOWAS travel certificate will be a thing of the past and the ECOWAS biometric identity card will be operational, providing the maximum protection against fraud and identity theft.
“This is a very important project that must not fail and this can only be done through transparency and accountability.”
Speaking earlier, the Director General of the Infrastructure Concession Regulatory Commission, ICRC, Chidi Izuwah, who said President Muhammadu Buhari was interested in the project, urged Messrs Euphoria Press Limited to work with the guidelines given.
Speaking with Daily Trust, the Chief Executive Officer of Messrs Euphoria Press Limited, Abdullahi Girei disclosed that the ECOWAS card will serve a dual purpose as a travel document and residential card.
According to him, production of the card will commence within the next three months, adding that “It’s to be in all the states, in the state commands of Nigeria Immigration Service and embassies of West African member states.”
The ECOWAS Commission had, during its 54th ordinary session of the Head of States and Government on 22nd December 2018, in Abuja resolved that all members must ensure the implementation of the agreement on ECOWAS card.
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