NIMC Highlights Three Years of Reforms, Says NIN Enrollment Nears 140 Million

NIMC Highlights Three Years of Reforms, Says NIN Enrollment Nears 140 Million

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has highlighted major achievements recorded under the leadership of its Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, including the expansion of National Identification Number (NIN) enrollment to nearly 140 million Nigerians and legal residents.

The Commission disclosed this at its 7th Roundtable Workshop with the Corporate Online Editors (ACOE), organised with support from the Nigeria Digital Identification for Development Project (Nigeria D4D/NDID4D) in Abuja, with the theme: “The New NIMC Act: Building Trust, Enabling Services, Transforming Nigeria.”

The event focused on the significance of the newly signed NIMC Act 2026 and the transformation of Nigeria’s identity ecosystem.

According to the presentation, Coker-Odusote’s five-point agenda, introduced when she assumed office in an acting capacity in 2023, was aligned with the Federal Government’s drive to strengthen Nigeria’s national identity system.

The first priority, increased enrollment, has seen the NIN database grow from about 80 million to nearly 140 million Nigerians and legal residents in three years. NIMC said it has added more than 2,500 enrollment devices and about 15,000 enrollment centres across Nigeria and the diaspora, while also introducing a pre-enrollment portal to make the process easier.

The second priority is data harmonisation and integration. NIMC has expanded integration of the NIN with databases of government agencies, allowing citizens to use their NIN as a foundational identity when accessing participating public services.

The third agenda focuses on the General Multipurpose Card and digital identity services. NIMC said work is ongoing on a new multipurpose card capable of supporting several applications, alongside the NIMC Mobile Wallet ID.

The fourth priority is access to services and financial inclusion. The NIN is increasingly being used to authenticate beneficiaries of government support programmes, including student loans and welfare interventions, helping to improve transparency and reduce duplication and fraud.

The fifth agenda is to increase public and private-sector adoption of the NIN as Nigeria’s foundational identity. NIMC stressed that collaboration with the media remains essential to educating Nigerians about enrollment, identity services and their rights under the new legal framework.

Earlier presentations at the workshop also highlighted the significance of the NIMC Act 2026, which repealed and replaced the 2007 legislation.

The new Act expands NIMC’s role beyond traditional identity management towards becoming a national digital trust authority. It provides legal backing for digital identity, Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), digital signatures, authentication and trusted electronic services.

Dr. Alvan Ikoku, Director, Strategy and Programme Office, NIMC, explained that the new framework moves the Commission from being primarily a custodian of identity records to a foundational authority for Nigeria’s digital trust infrastructure.

He said the framework would support secure digital transactions, electronic signatures, authentication and trusted digital credentials while creating opportunities to modernise public administration, reduce fraud and cyber risks, improve digital service delivery and strengthen Nigeria’s digital economy.

The Nigeria Digital Identification for Development Project also described the new Act as a major milestone, noting that legal reform was essential to building a trusted and inclusive national identity system.

The project said it supported the reform process through diagnostic studies, stakeholder consultations, technical drafting, engagement with the National Assembly and international benchmarking.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu signed the NIMC Act 2026 on June 26, 2026, providing the legal foundation for the next phase of Nigeria’s digital identity development.

The workshop therefore provided an opportunity for NIMC and its development partners to engage online publishers on the implications of the new law and encourage accurate public communication on NIN enrollment, data protection, digital identity and access to services.

The Commission called for continued media partnership to ensure that Nigerians understand the benefits and responsibilities associated with the new identity framework and to strengthen public trust in the national identity system.