The Lagos State Residents Registration Agency (LASRRA) has stated that everything is in place for the official launch of the enhanced Lagos State Resident Identity Card (LAG ID Card).
The General Manager, LASRRA, Engr. (Mrs.) Ibilola Kasunmu, announced the launch date, saying the new LAG ID Card would be unveiled on Wednesday, July 20 by the Lagos State Governor, Mr. Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at Police College, Ikeja GRA.
The launch will take place at the same time in each of the state’s five divisions: Ikeja, Badagry, Ikorodu, Lagos Island, and Epe.
Kasunmu went on to say that one of the day’s highlights will be a live demonstration of the smart card, its benefits, and the unveiling by Mr. Governor.
Speaking on the new LAG ID Card, Engr. Kasunmu stated that the new card has more features and functionalities to enable card users with wider and faster access to Lagos State Government services.
In her words: ‘‘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, to applying for loans from Lagos State Employment Trust Fund (LSETF).”
Cardholders can also use it as a payment card for services provided by a variety of vendors, such as buses and ferries, supermarkets, and cash withdrawals from banks’ Automated Teller Machines (ATMs).
Engr. Kasunmu urged citizens of the state who had not yet registered to do so by going to www.lagosresidents.gov.ng.
She said that after registration is authorised online, people must visit any LASRRA Registration Centre near them to have their biometrics recorded, and that registration is completely free.
She also asked people who enrolled in or before 2018, as well as those who have changed their names and/or addresses, to make adjustments by validating/updating their data using the same method, following which they would be summoned to pick up the updated LAG ID Card.
Kasunmu emphasised that one of the reasons residents with old cards need to do this is that the enhanced LAG ID has a multi-applet chip module that keeps some of the resident’s updated biodata and biometric information for real-time validation and verification of identification. She noted that the previous identity card served merely as identification.
‘‘Holders of the old card need to update their records to obtain the new LAG ID Card with a validity period of 5 years. The new card allows flexibility, to onboard more features and expand usability in view of fast-changing technology trends,’’ she stated. Engr. Kasunmu further said that other advantages of the newly upgraded LAG ID Card include easy access to educational services for children and students at all levels of education, as well as quicker access to healthcare services from the state-owned facilities.
The General Manager emphasised that the LAG ID Card project is critical to the Lagos Smart City effort, serving critical functions such as infrastructure planning and distribution, security, social protection, financial inclusion, and disaster and emergency response management, to name a few.
Hon. members of the Lagos State House of Assembly, members of the State Executive Council, traditional rulers from across the state, religious and community leaders, heads of market men and women, different Associations, artisans’ corporate organisations, and students from all levels of education are among those expected to attend.