This is an increase of over seven million new enrolees within five months
Nigeria’s National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment reached 117.3 million registrations as of 28 February 2025, according to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
This is an increase of over seven million new enrolees within five months.
A breakdown of the figures shows that men outnumbered women in enrolments, with 66.2 million males (56.5%) and 51.07 million females (43.5%) captured in the system.
Lagos is the state with the highest number of NIN registrations, with 12.6 million enrollees. Kano follows with 10.2 million, while Kaduna comes third with 6.9 million. These states, among Nigeria’s most populous, have been leading in the enrolment drive since the process began.
Other states with significant enrolments include Ogun (4.9 million), Oyo (4.5 million), Katsina (4 million), and the Federal Capital Territory (3.7 million). Rivers, Delta, and Bauchi complete the top ten list.
At the lower end of the scale, Bayelsa recorded the least number of enrolees at 758,111. Other states with relatively low enrolments include Ebonyi (990,775), Ekiti (1.1 million), Cross River (1.3 million), and Taraba (1.7 million).
To improve accessibility and efficiency, NIMC has launched a self-service modification portal that allows Nigerians to update their NIN details online. This initiative aims to enhance data security, simplify corrections, and reduce the risk of identity theft.
The agency is also working with state governments and federal agencies to integrate NIN with other social programmes. For instance, Lagos State has partnered with NIMC and the National Social Safety Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) to ensure seamless identity verification for beneficiaries of social interventions.
Nigeria’s digital ID programme is backed by the World Bank’s Digital Identity for Development (ID4D) initiative, which aims to provide secure and inclusive identification systems. The country had initially aimed to register 148 million citizens by June 2024 but fell short of the target, prompting the World Bank to extend the project timeline to June 2026.
The ID4D initiative, co-financed by the European Investment Bank and the French Development Agency, provides $430 million in funding to strengthen Nigeria’s identification infrastructure. The World Bank explained that the extension would ensure full disbursement of funds and allow for a more effective rollout of the system.
“The extension became necessary for the project to respond to the increasing demand for an inclusive and trusted digital ID system that will strengthen the transparency, efficiency, and effectiveness of governance and the delivery of public services and programmes,” the Bank stated.
The World Bank’s ID4D initiative seeks to reduce the number of people worldwide without official identification, a challenge that affects access to financial services, healthcare, and governance.
With the acceleration of digital ID enrolment and NIN integration with social and financial services, Nigeria is pushing this goal. However, the government still faces the challenge of closing the enrolment gap in underrepresented regions and ensuring that all citizens, regardless of location or socioeconomic status, have access to a secure and reliable identity system.
EduTimes Africa, a product of Education Times Africa, is a magazine publication that aims to lend its support to close the yawning gap in Africa's educational development.
