NIMC Celebrates Milestone As 122 Million Nigerians Enrol For NIN.
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced a significant achievement in Nigeria’s digital identity journey, with 122 million citizens enrolled for the National Identification Number (NIN) as of July 2025. This milestone, marking a 49% increase from the 72.7 million recorded in January 2022, underscores the commission’s progress in expanding access to secure and inclusive identification across the country.
Speaking at a workshop with online newspaper publishers in Lagos, NIMC’s Director-General, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, revealed that the commission has slashed extortion and unofficial charges in the enrolment process by 40%. Represented by Director of Information Technology and Identity Database, Lanre Yusuf, she attributed this success to sweeping reforms, including the introduction of digital tools such as the NINAuth mobile app, the Self-Service NIN Enrolment and Modification app, and Contactless Biometric Solutions. These innovations have streamlined processes, reduced human interference, and enhanced efficiency for Nigerians seeking to register or update their NIN details.
Coker-Odusote emphasised that NIN enrolment remains free, with transparent, publicly disclosed fees for modifications and verifications. The reforms have tackled long-standing issues of racketeering, with over 7,167 front-end enrolment agents retrained and strict monitoring mechanisms implemented. Additionally, grievance redress officers have been deployed across all 36 states, supported by a 24/7 toll-free line to address complaints about enrolment centres.
Lagos State continues to lead the nation in NIN registrations, with over 12.9 million enrollees, followed by Kano with 11.07 million and Kaduna with 7.1 million. The gender breakdown shows 56.5% male (66.2 million) and 43.5% female (51.07 million) registrants, reflecting a balanced regional and demographic spread.
The NIMC’s efforts align with the World Bank’s Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) project, aiming for 95% national coverage by the end of 2025. With plans to launch a new digital National ID Card by October 2025, the commission is poised to further integrate identity services with government initiatives, enhancing access to social welfare, financial transactions, and telecommunications.
This milestone not only highlights Nigeria’s strides towards a robust digital identity system but also reinforces NIMC’s commitment to transparency, inclusion, and service excellence, positioning the nation as a leader in digital governance.
