Nigeria’s Federal High Court in Abuja has upheld the validity and enforceability of a final arbitral award worth N52 billion (approx. $32 million at current rates) plus interest charges from date of arbitral award in favor of Chams Consortium Limited against the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), parent company Chams Holding Company Plc.

The judgment, delivered on Dec. 11, 2025, stemmed from a long-running dispute over a 2007 concession agreement for producing and managing Nigeria’s national identity cards.

The court confirmed the arbitral tribunal was properly constituted, had jurisdiction, and that the award was valid and enforceable under applicable Nigerian law.

Chams Holding, listed on the Nigerian Exchange (NGX), notified investors that Chams Consortium Limited, as the special purpose vehicle for the original concession, had secured the arbitral damages award. The company did not disclose the amount but from our investigation, the Abuja Federal High Court judgement papers confirmed the N52 billion award.

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The company stated it has filed for execution of the award.

The dispute originated in the mid-2000s when Chams Plc (predecessor to Chams Holding) won the bid for the national ID card project, investing over $100 million in preparations, infrastructure, and designs. The company issued about 1.2 million NINs to Nigerians before its contract was terminated.

NIMC terminated the concession around 2015, citing non-performance, which Chams contested as wrongful termination, frustration of contract and pecuniary interests.

Tensions escalated in 2019 when Chams Plc and Chams Consortium sued Mastercard (initially a technical partner), NIMC, and 22 banks, alleging misuse of shared confidential information and designs to launch a competing Mastercard-branded national ID initiative. Chams sought over N114 billion in damages for lost revenue, fraud, and induced breach from MasterCard alone.

A Federal High Court In Lagos issued interim injunctions restraining production and transactions involving NIMC-Mastercard cards.

Chams has historically reported significant losses from the saga, including around N9.2 billion cited earlier and near-financial distress, though mitigated by diversification into the implementation of projects projects like BVN enrollment and SIM card registration.

The company said It would make further NGX disclosures on material developments. No immediate details on enforcement timelines, payments, or NIMC’s response were provided in the filing.

Chams described the notification as strictly for regulatory compliance and transparency.

Chams Holding was not immediately available for comment beyond the disclosure.

The case underscores persistent challenges in Nigeria’s national identity programme, marked by procurement issues, stalled initiatives, and legal disputes over concessions. (BusinessDay)