Lagos upgrades resident card for multipurpose services

•Urges Holders Of Old Card To Update Information
The Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA), yesterday, said only 4.46 million residents have been registered.

The General Manager, Mrs. Ibilola Kasunmu, who disclosed this, announced that the LASRRA card is being replaced with the new Lagos State Resident Identity Card (LAG ID), which has been embedded with more features and functions that enable the holders to enjoy and have access to faster and better services from the state government.

She said that as part of effort to reach more residents as the state hopes to issue 6m cards by end year, about 862 enrollment units would be enlisted across the state.

According to her, the new LAG ID Card is a multi-application smartcard that offers registered residents access to services ranging from a means of personal security and identity verification at points of accessing various government services, applying for loans from Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF) to payment for services across multiple vendors, including BRT and LagFerry as well as cash withdrawals from Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).

She, therefore, appealed to residents to kick off their registration on the LASRRA website www.lagosresidents.gov.ng and visit any LASRRA centre nearest to them for biometrics capturing to complete their registration for the new LAG ID Card. Registration is absolutely free.

Kasunmu also urged those that registered in 2018 or before 2018 – and those who have changed their names and/or addresses, to also visit the LASRRA website www.lagosresidents.gov.ng to upload their updated information and proceed to the nearest LASRRA centre to complete the update process with biometric verification for validation for issuance of the LAG ID Card.

On why those who registered before 2018 need to update their data to get the new LAG ID Card, the LASRRA boss explained that the new card is embedded with a multi-applet chip module which stores the updated biodata and biometric details of the resident for real-time validation and verification of identity.

‘‘The old identity card with very limited functionality is being phased out and replaced with the multipurpose smart card. So, holders of the old card need to update their records to obtain the new LAG ID card with a validity period of five years. The new card allows flexibility to onboard more features and expand usability in view of fast-changing technology trends.

‘‘The impact of technology on the global identification landscape includes making it cheaper and easier to identify people accurately, as well as access services quicker. With the LAG ID Card, our children can have easier access to educational services from primary to secondary to tertiary institutions in the state.

‘‘It will also make access to healthcare services a lot easier. Lagos residents are all encouraged to take this opportunity to facilitate quicker access to services from the state government,’’ she said.

Kasunmu described the LAG ID Card project as pivotal to the Lagos Smart City initiative, for key purposes of planning and distribution of infrastructure, security, social protection, financial inclusion and disaster and emergency response management.