The Federal Executive Council (FEC) in Nigeria has given the green light to a policy that allows commercial banks to issue debit cards that can function as national identity cards at no additional cost.

The directive was given by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in partnership with the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and aims to address the demand for physical identity cards, especially in rural areas. The pair have signed a nondisclosure agreement to protect applicants' privacy and confidentiality.

Additionally, the FEC approved the deployment of an automated system to integrate National Identification Numbers (NINs) with individual SIM cards, aiming to streamline the NIN-SIM linkage process and facilitate SIM replacements.

It is important to note that since 2007, it has been mandatory for Nigerians to have a NIN number. The original NIN-SIM linkage policy, launched in December 2020, seeks the implementation and commencement of merging NINs and SIMs as part of the Buhari administration's security and social policies and their integrating identity to tackle crime. These policies have been met with some controversy and stalling due to their complicated application.