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By Chinenye Anuforo
The National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment has skyrocketed to over 122 million as of July 2025. This represents a 49% increase in just over three years, up from 72.7 million recorded in January 2022.
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) announced this significant progress, emphasising that this growth translates to millions of Nigerians now being enrolled monthly and issued a verifiable means of identification, unlocking access to critical services in education, agriculture, healthcare, social protection, and beyond.
The figures were shared by Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, the Director-General/CEO of NIMC, during a two-day workshop with online newspaper publishers in Lagos. Her address underscored the Commission’s unwavering commitment to building a robust, inclusive, and sustainable digital identity system for the nation.
Addressing a gathering of publishers under the auspices of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), Coker-Odusote expressed profound appreciation for the media’s role in public discourse and accountability. “Your role is pivotal and indispensable to the successful transformation of Nigeria’s digital identity landscape,” she asserted, acknowledging their crucial partnership in repositioning the nation’s digital identity framework. She also extended gratitude to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for his unwavering commitment to a more robust and inclusive digital identity system for Nigeria.
Since her assumption of office, Engr. Coker-Odusote has championed a proactive, transparent, and inclusive engagement strategy with all stakeholders, from government institutions and the private sector to NGOs, CSOs, and local communities. This deliberate approach has been critical to NIMC’s core objective: to reposition the National Identity Management System to ensure no one is left behind and that issued IDs guarantee access to essential services and government interventions.
The DG/CEO highlighted a shift from a previously fragmented, revenue-gulping, and exclusionary identity ecosystem. “Today, that story is changing. Through collaboration with our stakeholders, we are building a unified, secure, and people-centred ID system—one that is becoming the cornerstone of national planning, financial inclusion, economic empowerment, and digital governance,” Engr. Coker-Odusote affirmed.
“NIMC has aggressively tackled deep-rooted issues, most notably curtailing extortion and unofficial fees by over 40%, thanks to our enforcement of a transparent fee structure. Enrolment remains free, and modification and authentication fees are standardised and publicly disclosed,” she reiterated.
On the infrastructure front, significant investments have been made in system automation, back-end upgrades, and capacity expansion. The Commission’s strategic collaborations with numerous government organisations, including NHIS, FIRS, Nigeria Immigration Service, JAMB, INEC, CBN, FRSC, NCC, and NCoS, have significantly enhanced service delivery. These partnerships have streamlined verification processes, enhanced access to essential services, and strengthened public confidence in identity-based systems.
These collaborations are yielding tangible benefits: students are accessing educational loans more efficiently through NELFUND, entrepreneurs are receiving timely disbursements from SMEDAN and the Bank of Industry, and verified farmers are benefiting from targeted subsidy programmes via a NIN-enabled farmer registry. Workers are experiencing smoother compensation processes through NSITF, and individuals can build verifiable credit histories via CreditCorp.
Furthermore, NIMC has introduced innovative digital tools such as the NINAuth mobile app, the Self-Service NIN Enrolment and Modification app, and Contactless Biometric Solutions. These tools have “improved accuracy, reduced waiting times, and empowered millions of Nigerians to securely enrol, update, or verify their identity at their convenience,” aligning processes with global ID4D standards for data protection.
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A core tenet of NIMC’s mission is ensuring everyone deserves a verifiable means of ID, and our mission is to ensure no one is left behind. Through the Project Implementation Unit (PIU), enrolment services have been extended directly to underserved communities, with a strong emphasis on persons with disabilities, women, and children. Over 7,167 revalidated Front-End Enrolment Partners and agents have been trained to serve these communities professionally and inclusively, supported by dedicated grievance redress officers and a 24/7 toll-free line. NIMC also stressed its adherence to the highest level of data security protocols, ensuring data is used solely for identity purposes.
In a move to foster greater inter-agency synergy, the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project Steering Committee was inaugurated in March 2024, chaired by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF) with Engr. Coker-Odusote serving as Secretary. This high-level body is tasked with harmonising identity databases, embedding NIN into all government service delivery, and coordinating legal reforms.
The integration of NIN as a prerequisite for accessing critical services is driving unprecedented levels of financial inclusion. Over 3 million farmers and 800,000 students have already benefited from NIN-linked services. As of May 2025, SIM-NIN linkage has reached 172.67 million, enhancing regulatory compliance and financial service accessibility. Partnerships with organisations like the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) have expanded enrolment coverage among Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations, enabling better-targeted poverty alleviation programmes.
NIMC is also investing in its workforce, with 2,327 staff promoted between 2023 and 2024, and over 1,300 undergoing training. The Commission has also successfully cleared a two-year backlog of payments owed to enrolment partners, reinforcing transparency and strengthening partnerships.
Looking ahead, Engr. Coker-Odusote announced an ambitious plan to unveil a new General Multipurpose Card (GMPC) by October 2025. “This secure, multifunctional ID will provide seamless access to government services, financial platforms, health insurance, and other digital ecosystems, further solidifying digital identity as a critical tool for national development.”
In her opening remarks, Mrs. Tito Ejenavi, Coordinator of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) for the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project, highlighted the project’s relentless efforts since its inception in 2021 to support NIMC in expanding access, promoting inclusion, and implementing people-centred reforms. She underscored that the mission is deeply rooted in the principle of inclusion.
The Nigeria Digital ID4D Project is a collaborative effort funded by the World Bank, the European Investment Bank, and the French Development Agency. Its primary objective is to significantly increase the number of Nigerians with a National Identification Number (NIN) through a robust and inclusive foundational identity system, thereby facilitating access to essential services.
Ejenavi listed some of the progress that has been made through the partnership to include: development and validation of critical policies such as the National Inclusion Strategy and the Disability Enrolment Policy. Training and certification of over 7,167 Front-End Enrolment Partners and agents to enhance service delivery, particularly in rural and underserved communities, amongst others.
“Importantly, we have not just invested in systems, we have invested in people,” Mrs. Ejenavi added, noting various capacity-building initiatives for staff.
