Lagos introduces a smart identity card for residents

By Adeleye Kunle

In order to provide a reliable data base in the state, the Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) has launched the upgraded Lagos State Resident Identity Card (LAG smart ID Card).

At the unveiling yesterday, Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu stated that the event was held concurrently across the state’s five divisions, namely Ikorodu, Ikeja, Epe, Badagry, and Lagos Island. The unveiling in Ikeja took place at the Police College Ground in GRA, Ikeja.

The governor stated that the state hoped to produce 10 million cards by the end of the year.

He thanked Lagosians for their dedication to the Greater Lagos agenda.

The launch, according to Tunbosun Alake, Special Adviser to the Governor on Innovation and Technology, was a landmark event to catalyze the state economy through technology, as the state required a robust identification system that was highly secured to ensure cyber security, among other features.

LASRRA General Manager Ibilola Kasunmu stated that the new card, the first of its kind in Africa, was embedded with more features and functionalities to provide holders with broader and faster access to government services. She stated that LASRRA would work with stakeholders to improve the lives of Lagosians.

Kasunmu added that holders could use it as a payment card for services provided by a variety of vendors, such as buses, ferries, supermarkets, and cash withdrawals from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).

She encouraged residents to sign up on the agency’s website, www.lagosresidents.gov.ng.