At the May 2013 World Economic Forum on Africa, the Nigerian National Identity Management Commission and Council Lead Partner MasterCard announced the planned issuance of 13 million National Identity Smart Cards as a pilot program. The case study linked below describes the financial inclusion initiative that offers Nigerian citizens the safety, convenience and reliability of electronic payments, while providing a framework for improving the economic prospects of over 100 million Nigerians who have not previously had access to financial services.