Lagos — Sixteen-year-old Nigerians, down from 18 years, can now obtain the National identity cards, an official of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), has said.

Alhaji Isa Muhammad, the Commission's Coordinator in Bauchi State, stated this on Wednesday in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Bauchi.

Muhammad said, however, that the new-improved identity card which would be issued this year, would not replace the existing one as that still remained valid.

He said that the new cards would be all-inclusive because it would be used for all banking transactions by Nigerians.

"We are introducing a multi-purpose cards, otherwise known as smart cards.

"The difference between the existing national identity cards and the one being proposed is that the smart card will contain memory metal chips.

"While the existing national identity card captures only six human fingers, the smart card will capture 10 fingers.

"The smart card will be issued to Nigerians from the age of 16 because at that age, it is expected that all diametric data of beneficiaries would be adequately captured," the Coordinator said.

Muhammad said that all the necessary arrangements for the production of the smart card had reached advanced stage.