Kaduna launches residency card

The Kaduna State Government has launched what it calls residency card.

The state Commissioner for Budget and Planning, Muhammad Abdullahi, explained that with the take-off of the initiative, those intending to stay in the state for up to 180 days would be required to obtain the card which he said would also be captured on the national data base.

He said part of the intention was to ensure adequate security, and that the registration exercise was being carried out in partnership with the National Identity Card Management Commission (NIMC), and was open to all residents of all ages.

The commissioner said very soon, people would be required to present their residency card before they could access free social services in the state, adding that 31 registration locations had already been established across the three zones of the state.

“We need to know who reside in our state and where. This is very important not only in planning but also in ensuring security,” he stated.

The NIMC North West Zonal Director, Mr Oyesola Taiwo, said the registration for the Kaduna State residency card was linked with the NIMC data base, adding that those who had their national identification number would only need to present their number to be captured. Chairman, committee on budget and planning, Kaduna State House of Assembly Alhaji Idris Abdullahi, said that the exercise had a legal backing and was appropriated for in the 2017 budget.