The Cross River State is the first Nigerian state to implement biometric technology and combine authentication and payment in a state-wide ‘smart-city’ card. The state ID card program is the first of its kind a breakthrough for Precise Biometrics on the African continent. In the coming years, all citizens in Cross River State, close to 3 million people, will be issued a card. More Nigerian and African states are expected to follow the market development with biometric ID and payment cards.
The Cross River State is the first Nigerian state to implement biometric technology and combine authentication and payment in a state-wide ‘smart-city' card. The state ID card program is the first of its kind a breakthrough for Precise Biometrics on the African continent. In the coming years, all citizens in Cross River State, close to 3 million people, will be issued a card. More Nigerian and African states are expected to follow the market development with biometric ID and payment cards.
The smart-city card will be used by the citizens for personal identification in public services such as tax declaration, health care, social benefits and pension, as well as enabling commercial services such as e-payments.
The program, called the SmartGov Initiative, allows the Cross River State to automate government services, create traceability and transparency of their systems and grow revenue. The citizens will experience easy and convenient access to a number of services, which will make processes such as receiving money for various social services more efficient. The solution is built on an e-payment solution which is currently operational in 26 of Nigeria's 36 states.
“One of the advantages of e-payment is to create efficiency within the public sector while providing good service delivery to the people,” said Liyel Imoke, Governor, the Cross River state.