Osun Invests in Biometric, Smart ID Card for Public Schools

Osun State Government has launched smart identity card with biometric features for all public school students in the state.

The launch, which took place recently at the Salvation Army School, Alekuwodo, Oshogbo, underscores the commitment of the state government to use technology to improve planning, allocation of resources and service delivery in the education sector.

An initiative of Chams Plc, the smart ID card is linked back to a central database which provides the government with accurate and reliable data on the identity and number students attending public schools in the state. 

Launching the card for the students, Osun State Governor,  Rauf Aregbesola, who was re-elected for a second tenure last Saturday, said, “In the history of human inventions, there are not too many inventions that are as useful as technology in terms of its efficiency and effectiveness at providing solutions to human problems. This is the reason why the government of the state of Osun adopted and is deploying technology as the solution to the legacy of inefficiency bequeathed to the civil service by past inept leaders."

He added: "The smart ID card which is embedded with biometric features is also an ingenious technology solution that we have adopted to further raise the service delivery levels in the education sector.”

Aregbesola explained that with the card, each student would remain a unique and identifiable individual that cannot be mistaken for another person.

“Effortlessly, government can identify all students in public schools, and have access to their information at the push of a button. It improves the effectiveness of life enriching programmes such as the O’Meals, O’Schools and Opon Imo, among other innovations put in place for the welfare of students. The smart card makes tracking possible, implying that we are provided with more accurate information on the exact number of beneficiaries which eliminates fraud and accounting error of any type,” the governor said.

Commenting on the project, Deputy Governor of the state, Mr. Titilayo Laoye-Tomori, who doubles as the Commissioner for Education said, “This is indeed a significant milestone for the State of Osun because without accurate data, a holistic transformation of the education sector in Osun may remain elusive. Issuance of smart identity cards to all public school students will ensure that we have accurate data for use in updating our education strategy and sustain our pragmatic work-plan to ensure overall policy success. In no small measure, the smart identity card will also ensure accountability to government by students of public school as it makes it possible for schools to track attendance,” Laoye-Tomori said.

She added that the government of the state government would continue to upscale its investment in education across the state because it regards education of children and youths as one of the prime investments that can guarantee the exponential growth and development of the state in the 21st century’s maturing knowledge economy which places very high premium on human capital.
Managing Director, Chams Plc,  Mr. Demola Aladekomo, said, “The Osun Smart ID card provides biographical and biometric identification of public school children from elementary schools to middle schools and high schools, equipping government reliable demographic data of the student population in the state."

This, he said, would certainly improve planning, distribution and allocation of educational resources in alignment with population size, and the unique needs of students and schools across the 30 local government areas of the state.

“ It will also aid the judicious use of government resources and improve budgeting, while also providing accurate data that will lead to the enunciation of more transformative policies,” he said.

Aladekomo added that Chams was proud to be associated with the giant strides achieved by the government of the state, as its continuously deploys Information and Communications Technology (ICT) to improve governance and service delivery to the people of the state, irrespective of their location and status.
“Without doubt, the state is indeed becoming a model in e-governance that is worthy of emulation by other state governments because of its shrewdness and foresightedness in using technology to reduce the high incidence of fraud and wastage often associated with the public sector programmes," he said.

In April this year, Chams Plc and First Bank of Nigeria partnered the state government to provide civil servants with smart identity cards embedded with MasterCard prepaid capabilities - which is also the first of its kind by any state government in Nigeria. The card with biometric features can be used by the civil servants outside the country and is accepted by over 16 million merchants worldwide.

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