Emma Okonji
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has released its new rates for products and services that it renders to the public, which increased by 20 per cent, following the conclusion of the upward review of its products and services.
Citing current market realities, the commission said it became necessary to increase the cost of its products and services, in order to serve the public better.
The document for the new rates, which THISDAY obtained from the official website of NIMC, was signed by the Head, Commercial Services Unit at NIMC, Mrs. Henrietta Okolo and the Director General/CEO of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote.
The new rates show that NIN retrieval query now cost N75.00, while card enquiry by SMS now cost N50.00, and VIP enrolment has been increased to N20,000. NIN slip re-issuance now cost N3,500, while card issuance and card replacement have been increased from N5,000 to N7,000.
Delivery of card within Nigeria now cost N5,000, and delivery outside of Nigeria for those in diaspora, now cost $25.
For service offerings like correction on Date of Birth, Nigerians will pay N28,547, verification of other filled documents will now cost N2,000 per transaction.
Verification of services around Application Programming Interface (APIs) for private organisations, has been increased to N50 million, with an annual licence fee of N3 million, while verification fees for non-governmental agencies has been increased to N10 million, with an annual licence fee of N2 million. Verification still remains free for government agencies.
According to a statement from NIMC, which was also published on its website, the commission said: “Following due consultation with all departments and in consideration of the current market realities of inflation at 32.70 per cent, we propose an upward review in fees and charges of our products and services with a markup by at least 20 per cent across with exception to certain services per their peculiarities.
“Also in consideration were the obtainable charges by sister agencies on similar services such as Passports and Driver’s licence services. While considering the commission’s service for public good, general interest and
maintenance of its infrastructure, the desire for self-sustenance was considered.”
According to Coker-Odusote, “After a decade of maintaining the same pricing structure, NIMC decided to conduct a comprehensive review to ensure alignment with current operational costs and industry standards.
The revised pricing structure aims to maintain the quality and integrity of NIMC’s services while ensuring affordability and accessibility for Nigerians. The new prices will take effect immediately.”
NIMC however, warns all Front-End Partners (FEPs) to adhere strictly to the new pricing structure, insisting that any FEP found charging more than the approved rates will face sanctions, including license revocation.
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