Alright, so you wanna get yourself a Nigeria ID card, huh? Listen up, it ain’t rocket science, but there’s a few things you gotta know. It’s like buyin’ a chicken at the market, gotta know what you’re lookin’ for and how much it should cost, ya know?
First off, they changed things up a bit. Used to be, the government paid for everything, but now, they sayin’ they ain’t got the money. So, you gotta pay yourself. Sounds kinda fishy to me, but what can ya do? They say it’s for a new, fancy card, a “multipurpose” one, they call it. Sounds like somethin’ a city slicker would say, but hey, if it gets the job done, I ain’t complainin’.
They talkin’ about this card doin’ three things at once. Three-in-one, they call it. Makes me think of them fancy washing powders they sell on TV. Does it wash clothes, clean the dishes, and sweep the floor too? I dunno. But they say it’s gonna be good, starts workin’ in August, they say. Gotta wait and see, I guess.
Now, how do you get this card? Well, it used to be you’d stand in line all day, like waitin’ for water at the well. But now they got this thing called an “app.” Sounds like somethin’ you eat, but it ain’t. It’s on your phone, they say. If you got one of them fancy phones, that is. Me? I still like talkin’ to folks face to face, but these young’uns, they always lookin’ at them screens.
- First thing, they say you gotta make a payment. How much? They don’t always tell ya straight, gotta poke around and find out. Like findin’ a good yam in a pile of rotten ones.
- Then, you gotta pick a place to get the card. Not just any place, mind you. They got specific spots. Gotta find one that’s close to you, or you’ll be walkin’ all day, like goin’ to market in the next village.
- Finally, you go and get your card. Sounds easy enough, right? But you know how these things go. Might be more lines, more waitin’. Just gotta be patient, like waitin’ for the rain in the dry season.
If you don’t want to do that app thing, you can go to one of their offices. They call ‘em “NIMC Locations.” Sounds all official and whatnot. There, a fella workin’ there will give you a code, a bunch of numbers and letters, like chicken scratch on paper. You take that code to the bank, pay your money, and then they finish up your application. It’s like gettin’ a receipt for your goat at the market, gotta show proof you paid.
They got this other thing too, called a “NIN.” Sounds like a person’s name, but it ain’t. It’s a number, they say, that ties all your information together. Like tyin’ up a bundle of firewood. They say everybody in Nigeria, even them folks from far away that come to live here, gotta have this NIN. It proves who you are, they say.
And this whole thing, this ID card business, it’s all backed up by somethin’ called an “Act.” Sounds like somethin’ they do in them fancy theaters in the city, but it ain’t that either. It’s a law, they say, from way back in 2007. Guess they finally decided to start usin’ it, huh?
So, there you have it. That’s the lowdown on gettin’ yourself a Nigeria ID card. It ain’t as simple as buyin’ a bag of rice, but it ain’t impossible either. Just gotta be patient, follow the steps, and don’t let them city slickers try to fool ya. And remember, always ask questions. Don’t be shy. It’s your money, your time, and your ID card. You got a right to know what’s goin’ on.
They say this new card is gonna make things easier, faster. We’ll see, I guess. I’ve seen a lot of changes in my time, some good, some bad. But one thing I know for sure, you gotta keep up, or you’ll get left behind, like a stray goat in the bush. So, go get your ID card, and don’t let nobody tell you otherwise.
Key takeaway: Pay the money, pick your location, get your ID. Don’t forget your NIN. And if somethin’ don’t sound right, ask somebody. Don’t be a fool.