By Emmanuel Elebeke

The National Identity Management Commission, NIMC says it has successfully carried out User Acceptance Test on the National Identity Smart Card facility to ensure that it conforms to international standards and best global practices in tune with the defined objective of the NIMS project.

The User Acceptance Testing is aimed at meeting the complete requirements as provided by Datacard Group to NIMC, while demonstrating the comprehensive function of the system, which include communication with other sub-systems in NIMC, identifying each citizen by installing personal data and applications on the chip and physical customization of the card to suit each individual. It also includes complete delivery of the validated system.

The Director General of the Commission, Barrister Chris Onyemenam, in a telephone interview, said the test case was necessary to check the Factory Acceptance Test, FAT and the System Acceptance Test, SAT configuration.

Explaining the process of the Factory Acceptance and System Acceptance Testings, Onyemenam said that ‘test data’ was used to encode on the chip of the e-ID card before it can be printed.

“The Smartcard chip encoding applications allows for personal information to be encrypted on the chip of the National Identity Card according to the card profiles, while the machines was used to write names on the card.

He explained that the applications currently encoded on the chip are: ICAO/ePassport application which enables the card to be used as a travel document; the eID application which is the holders Identity; the PKI application which ensures that the card conforms to international security standards; the MOC application which will be used for authenticating and verifying the holder; and the EMV application which allows the card to be used as a payment solution, e.g as an ATM Card.

According to him, the test case processes was followed carefully to ensure that the National Identity Smart Card are up to global standards and certification before it can be introduced into the market.

”The successful SAT, and the subsequent successful UAT were done following a successful EMV Key Ceremony.

”The ePKI Key Ceremony was conducted recently, thus making sure the NIMC have completed the full circle of tests and functional systems deployment to ensure the proper and standardised issuance of the National Identity Smart Card,” he stated.

The Director General added that the next step following the successful User Acceptance Test is the field testing of the Card which will commence immediately across Nigeria and globally.