NIMC DG: 115m Nigerians, legal residents have enrolled for NIN

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says 115 million Nigerians have registered for the national identification number (NIN).

The figure is 13.6 percent or 15 million higher compared to the 110 million announced in September 2024.

Abisoye Coker-Odusote, the director-general of NIMC, spoke in Lagos on Friday during a media roundtable.

“At the moment, our total registration figure stands at 115 million in terms of NIN issued to Nigerians and legal residents in Nigeria,” Coker-Odusote said. 

Coker-Odusote said the NIN is increasingly serving as a critical enabler for accessing services from linking subscriber identity module (SIM) cards to issuing international passports, driver licenses, and examination registrations.

She said the NIN is also ensuring efficient service delivery while enhancing social protection programmes.

According to Coker-Odusote, the innovation is a bedrock foundation for driving socio-economic growth, promoting financial inclusion, and enabling access to services across key areas like health, agriculture, education and others.

Speaking further, the NIMC boss said the passage of the data protection Act and the establishment of the data protection commission (NDPC) now guarantees a secure environment for digital data handling.

She said the Act would ensure that the digital rights of citizens are protected.

Coker-Odusote said the NIMC’s identity management system has also undergone a comprehensive overhaul, setting new standards for security, efficiency, and reliability.

“Our advancements include the introduction of multi-factor authentication and on-device application, which ensures data integrity and minimises the risk of unauthorised access,” she added. 

“Offline AI-powered biometrics to ensure that we’re able to capture enrollment in real-time and reduce the processing time for enrolment.”

On reaching rural areas and underserved populations, she said the commission is deploying more enrolment agents across the country.

According to Coker-Odusote, the NIMC has trained over 1,423 enrollment agents nationally and 56 front-end partners and equipped them with Android devices boosting enrollment capacity nationwide.

She also said the NIMC Act of 2007, which has been amended, is currently waiting for its third reading at the national assembly.

The director-general said the amendment is necessary to reflect the Data Protection Act of 2023, which President Bola Tinubu signed into law when he assumed office last year.

Coker-Odusote said the NIMC Act and related legislation have been amended to align with contemporary standards and provide a sturdy legal framework for a robust IT system.