Electronic Verification of Pensioners made easy

Our client is the military pension board of Nigeria, which manages the payment of gratuities and pensions to retired military personnel. The military pension system depended on paper forms and manual processes to verify and validate proof of existence for all members and the next of kin.

In the absence of electronic verification of pensioners, retired military personnel were required to appear at the treasury office every six months to continue receiving their pension payments from the government.

As a result, over 3,000 pensioners were required to gather at a state capital for verification every six months. Some were older than 70- 80 years old and could not wait for long periods, and some even fell ill due to long-distance travel.

Numerous challenges were encountered during the manual identity verification of the military veterans. Given the numerous challenges, the Military Pension Board was looking to leverage technology to find a way around the process of manual verification. They needed a system connecting pensioner records to biometric data such as fingerprints, iris facial recognition,  facial scans, and document recognition.

Remember the 1987 classic sci-fi movie Robocop; the character Robocop used facial recognition technology. The Robocop uploaded an image of a person and then identified that person using an image database. The MPB is now using a similar technology customized by qubesense to conduct electronic verification of pensioners.

 Impressive, right?

A new biometric facial recognition and fingerprint app developed by qubesense makes electronic verification of pensioners easier. The facial recognition app makes online verification simpler and safer for the country’s military retirees, allowing people to submit digital life certificates from the comforts of their homes.

Read this article to learn how military pensioners can now prove their proof of existence status quickly and easily through facial recognition biometrics.

What is the purpose of online verification for Pensioners?

Manual identity verification was prone to inefficiencies and inaccuracies and increased the processing staff’s workload. The online verification exercise aimed to discover the exact number of active military retirees on the MPB payroll and update their personal information. 

Also, it was a necessary step to curb pension-related scams, leaks, and human errors, which resulted in a significant financial loss for the MPB.

In addition, obtaining annual life certificates was difficult for retirees because they had to travel long distances to headquarters to get their certifications.

The Electronic Identity Verification of Military Pensioners  

To overcome the limitations of a manual system for authenticating military pensioners, qubesense proposed an online identity verification system with the help of a face biometric authentication system. The system is a mobile application on Google and iOS stores and a web reporting portal. It is custom-designed for the Military Pension Board (MPB) to create an Electronic Verification Management System (EVMS). 

 The EVMS is integrated with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) and is linked to other 3rd party applications via an API, enabling the application to capture a retiree’s National Identification Number (NIN) and compare the selfie to the photo in the database, confirming identity.

The anti-spoofing system, which uses the mobile App and the established Electronic Verification System, simultaneously verifies military pensions in Nigeria and the diaspora.

Biometric Onboarding: 

 Once the existing officers are onboarded, they are authenticated by first validating their Bank Verification Number (BVN), a unique identification number validated across all Nigerian financial institutions. Next, the officers’ BVN is linked to their biological characteristics, including ‘Fingerprint,’ ‘Signature,’ and ‘Facial Features’ photographs taken at the time of membership.

Once verified, retirees must provide additional documentation, such as a Driver’s License, Passport, or NIN, to verify their identity.

• Facial biometrics must match those on the government-issued identification: Driver’s License or International Passport

• The National Identification Number (NIN) should match with the NIMC database

• The photo on the National Identification Management Center (NIMC) card must match the selfie provided to enable the retiree to provide fingerprint identification

• All ten fingerprints are captured using fingerprint recognition technology

• A verification report is generated, which the retiree can save on the phone, print, or forward via email or WhatsApp

Authentication: 

 In phase two, biometric authentication technology is used to confirm the pensioner’s identity with data already collected in phase one

Benefits

Pensioners can now digitally prove their existence using real-time identification solutions such as photo facial recognition software and fingerprint identification technology.

A pensioner uploads a selfie-and uses a smartphone app to present their fingerprints. The app then analyzes the image using artificial intelligence and custom algorithms to detect liveliness. Finally, an automated approval or rejection process is triggered based on the results.

No more painful long-distance traveling; Pensioners can now submit their digital certificates of existence in less than 60 seconds using a pensioners life certificate mobile app.

For retirees, getting an online verification is as simple as taking a selfie- Blink, Click. Submit 

But for the MBP, “A picture is worth a thousand Bucks.”