Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu on Wednesday re-launched the Lagos State Residency Card with a target to enrol at least 10 million residents by December this year.
The card, according to the state government, would assist in the generation of a comprehensive database of all persons living in Lagos to enable the government plan for them in terms of service delivery.
The re-launched residency card an upgraded and chip-embedded smart ID being managed by the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA).
Sanwo-Olu unveiled the smart card at events held simultaneously across five locations in the state – Ikeja, Lagos Island, Badagry, Ikorodu and Epe.
The new card offered a transition from an ordinary plastic card, meant only for identification purposes, to a smart, multi-purpose ID that combines biometric identification with other benefits, such as security, financial services, transportation and access to government services and amenities.
Lagos first launched the residency card and registration of residents in 2011 under the administration of Babatunde Fashola, to create a reliable database to enable effective and realistic planning by the government, especially for the provision of social services and amenities, but very little success has been recorded with it as the majority of residents shunned participation in the exercise.
Till date, only 6.5 million residents have been reportedly enrolled from an estimated population of over 21 million people.
With the launch of digitised card format, Sanwo-Olu said the state government would be targeting to capture 10 million residents on the database before the end of the year.
This new residency ID, according to LASRRA, is a multipurpose smart card with 28 applets that make the provision of 28 services possible to the cardholders.
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“Today’s re-launch is borne out of the need to embrace change and align with global best practices. We have upgraded the residency card from an ordinary plastic card, for identification purposes only, to a smart, multi-purpose card that combines biometric identification with other functionalities and benefits, that cuts across areas such as security, financial services, mobility and access to government services and amenities.
“Lagos experiences significant levels of daily inbound migration of people seeking economic opportunities and a better life. As a result, our population is rising rapidly, with obvious implications for social services, social infrastructure, and security. It has become imperative for the state government to re-examine strategies aimed at improving the security of lives and properties of the people.
“This smart residency card being launched today will help us to address the issues surrounding the identification and traceability of Lagos residents, and ultimately help inform the government’s planning and provision of services designed to secure lives and property. The card comes with an electronic wallet, which can hold funds and be used for daily transactions to support the cashless agenda of the monetary authorities.”
Sanwo-Olu said new visitors in Lagos who planned to live in the state for more than two consecutive months were now required to register for the residency card.
Sanwo-Olu solicited the cooperation of all residents to register and acquire the card in order to enjoy the benefits on offer and to enable the government to plan effectively and allocate budget for the delivery of good governance against the backdrop of the state’s growing population.
Special adviser to the governor on innovation and technology, Olatunbosun Alake, said the launch of the smart residency card became another foundational layer on which the government’s Smart City project would stand on, noting that the new card would also promote inclusion.
