The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) has joined forces with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to introduce multi-wallet-enabled digital identity cards for Nigerian farmers and other citizens.
The initiative, unveiled in a joint statement by Joel Oruche, Director of Information at FMAFS, and Kayode Adegoke, Head of Corporate Communications at NIMC, aligns with the Government-to-Person (G2P) card initiative and the NIN-enabled farmer registry.
The introduction of these digital identity cards is expected to revolutionise the way government services are delivered to farmers and other citizens in Nigeria.
The G2P card, in particular, will play a crucial role in improving the accuracy and efficiency of government assistance programmes, as well as enhancing transparency and reducing opportunities for fraud. By ensuring that the right beneficiaries receive the appropriate aid, the government will be better equipped to achieve its food security and inclusivity goals.
“The adoption of this card allows the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) to uniquely identify all farmers, deliver various agricultural services securely, and eliminate risks and fraud. It also provides end-to-end visibility within the agricultural value chain, fostering scalability,” the statement read.
Moreover, the multi-wallet feature of these cards will facilitate a range of financial transactions, including farmer financing, agency banking, and third-party services.
Aligning with President Buhari’s directive for all MDAs to adopt the NIN as a basis for service delivery, the Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) has collaborated with NIMC to establish a comprehensive farmer registry.
This registry contains each farmer’s NIN and biometric data, as well as information about their farmland such as size and the type of crops or livestock they cultivate. This registry serves as the foundation for the G2P card, which not only functions as an identification tool but also facilitates targeted delivery of assistance to farmers and other beneficiaries.
“The card is unique to each individual, and all Nigerians and legal residents are eligible to obtain it, regardless of their banking status. Each MDA adopting the G2P card will customise and personalise it for their specific programmes,” the statement explained.
As a digital wallet or prepaid card, the G2P card supports a range of government initiatives, including subsidies, loans, welfare disbursements, pensions, and agricultural extension programmes.
The system has been designed to overcome infrastructure challenges that hinder identity verification and beneficiary access, ensuring reliable service delivery even in underserved locations.
“Within this framework, NIMC will provide the foundational identity ecosystem to FMAFS, who, as the owner of both the farmer registry and G2P card scheme, will provide government services via the issued G2P cards, tailored to the needs of the farmers supported by the Ministry at the national and sub-national levels.
“The G2P card has a large capacity in-card chip that stores beneficiary identity, know your customer (KYC), picture, and fingerprints. In addition, it has two applets and several wallets dedicated to multiple types of programmes, which provide needed flexibility and channels for multiple interventions to be implemented against the same unique identity,” the statement added.
