By Monsur Olowoopejo & Olaitan Shinyanbola

LAGOS—Lagos State Government yesterday, said it has commenced distribution of the Permanent Lagos Resident Registration card for the 2.5 million registered residents, barely a year after commencement of the exercise in the state.

Governor Babatunde Fashola, however, urged the Federal Government to allow residents returning into the state to present the card as passport rather than using the country’s official passport.

Fashola who made the appeal at the presentation of the cards to registered residents at the Alausa Secretariat, Ikeja, said that the distribution of the card marked a big step into the future.

According to him, “Once we upload onto this data, we would be able to say these are the number of people who live in the state. If we have data, we would be able to plan and provide the needed infrastructures for the residents of the state.”

While appealing to the central government, the governor said “It is also possible by using this, working with the Federal Government so that they could say that those who have Lagos Residency card can come into the state with their own card.