NIMC DG says nationwide enrolment campaign under new identity law will strengthen governance, eliminate duplicate identities and make the National Identification Number the foundation for public and private sector services.
By John Ishaku
ABUJA, Nigeria — July 13, 2026
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has directed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to ensure that every Nigerian is enrolled into the country’s national identity database before the end of 2026, in what officials describe as one of the most ambitious digital identity programmes in Nigeria’s history.
The directive was disclosed by the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, who said the Federal Government is accelerating nationwide registration under the newly enacted National Identity Management Commission Act 2026.
According to the NIMC boss, the nationwide enrolment campaign is designed to provide every Nigerian with a unique identity through the National Identification Number (NIN) while creating a reliable population database capable of supporting governance, economic planning, national security and public service delivery.
The announcement comes as the Federal Government pushes ahead with reforms aimed at digitising public administration and strengthening identity management amid growing concerns over insecurity, identity fraud and inaccurate demographic data.
Tinubu Sets Deadline for Universal Identity Registration
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Coker-Odusote revealed that President Tinubu has issued a clear directive requiring the commission to complete nationwide identity enrolment before the end of next year.
“The President has given us till the end of this year to make sure that we capture every single Nigerian,” she stated.
She explained that the commission is expanding its registration capacity by collaborating with multiple stakeholders through the World Bank-supported Identification for Development (ID4D) Programme.
Under the arrangement, licensed front-end partners drawn from the private sector have been integrated into Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem to conduct enrolment on behalf of NIMC, particularly in underserved communities.
According to the commission, the decentralised approach is expected to accelerate registration, improve accessibility and create employment opportunities while extending identity services to rural areas.
Identity Database Expected to Clarify Nigeria’s Population
Beyond identity verification, officials say the nationwide registration exercise could finally provide a more accurate picture of Nigeria’s actual population.
Nigeria’s population has long remained a subject of debate, with official and unofficial estimates ranging between 200 million and 250 million people.
Coker-Odusote argued that reliable demographic information remains indispensable for national development planning.
According to her, governments cannot effectively allocate resources or formulate evidence-based policies without knowing the actual number of citizens requiring public services.
“Your identity is basically the foundation for effective governance and service delivery. How can you plan if you don’t know the total number of persons that you have?” she asked.
She added that President Tinubu has directed NIMC to extend enrolment activities to the grassroots to ensure every eligible Nigerian is captured within the stipulated timeframe.
One Person, One Identity
Central to the government’s digital identity strategy is the “One Person, One Identity” policy.
The NIMC Director-General explained that the National Identification Number serves as a permanent and unique identifier assigned to each individual only once.
She dismissed concerns that citizens could obtain multiple identities by registering under different names or at different locations.
According to her, improvements in NIMC’s biometric infrastructure now make duplicate enrolment significantly more difficult than under previous systems.
While the legacy platform only detected duplicate registrations after records entered the database, the upgraded system immediately compares biometric information with existing records.
Any duplicate application, she explained, is automatically flagged for verification and invalidation.
“You would only have one identity generated for you. The other record goes into a deduplication bucket where it is invalidated,” she said.
Biometric Technology Tightens Identity Security
NIMC says advances in biometric verification now provide stronger protection against identity fraud.
The commission relies on fingerprints, facial recognition and other biometric identifiers to confirm applicants’ identities during registration and authentication.
According to Coker-Odusote, the recently enacted NIMC Act further strengthens the commission’s authority by making NIMC the country’s central repository for biometric identity information.
She explained that government agencies and private organisations will increasingly validate identities through secure Application Programming Interface (API) integration with NIMC instead of maintaining separate biometric databases.
The telecommunications sector has already adopted this model, with telecom operators verifying facial biometrics against NIMC records before activating new SIM cards.
Officials believe the integrated system will improve security while reducing opportunities for identity theft and fraudulent transactions.
New Identity Law Expands NIMC’s Powers
The nationwide registration drive follows President Tinubu’s assent to the National Identity Management Commission Act 2026, which repealed the previous 2007 legislation.
The new law significantly expands NIMC’s regulatory powers and formally establishes the National Identification Number as Nigeria’s foundational identity credential.
Under the legislation, the NIN is expected to become the principal means of identity verification for accessing numerous government and essential private-sector services.
These include:
- Banking services
- Passport applications
- Tax administration
- Pension processing
- Consumer credit
- Land transactions
- Other government programmes requiring identity verification
The legislation also introduces tougher penalties for identity theft, multiple registrations, unlawful access to personal identity information and other identity-related offences.
In addition, it strengthens data protection requirements while granting NIMC broader investigative powers to combat identity fraud.
Experts Highlight Benefits and Challenges
Digital governance experts say establishing a comprehensive national identity database could significantly improve Nigeria’s public administration.
A unified identity system is expected to enhance social intervention programmes, improve tax administration, reduce fraud, strengthen financial inclusion and support national security operations.
Accurate identity records may also improve electoral management, healthcare planning, education policy and disaster response.
However, analysts caution that achieving universal enrolment will require overcoming significant logistical challenges, including limited infrastructure in remote communities, inadequate public awareness, connectivity constraints and concerns surrounding personal data protection.
Civil society organisations have also emphasised the need for transparency, robust cybersecurity safeguards and strict compliance with privacy regulations to maintain public confidence in the national identity system.
A Foundation for Nigeria’s Digital Economy
The Tinubu administration has consistently identified digital transformation as one of its major governance priorities.
Officials believe a comprehensive national identity infrastructure will facilitate electronic government services, accelerate financial technology innovation and strengthen Nigeria’s emerging digital economy.
By integrating identity verification across government institutions and private-sector platforms, policymakers expect to improve efficiency while reducing administrative bottlenecks and fraud.
The success of the programme, however, will ultimately depend on effective implementation, sustained funding, technological reliability and public participation.
President Tinubu’s directive to register every Nigerian by the end of 2026 signals an accelerated push toward building a unified national identity system capable of transforming governance and public service delivery.
While the initiative promises improved planning, stronger security and expanded access to essential services, its success will depend on NIMC’s ability to overcome operational challenges and earn public trust through transparent implementation and effective protection of citizens’ personal data.
As Nigeria advances toward a fully integrated digital identity ecosystem, the nationwide enrolment exercise is expected to become one of the country’s most significant governance reforms in recent years.
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