ABUJA — President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has issued a strict presidential directive to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), mandating the agency to accelerate enrollment operations and achieve 95 percent National Identification Number (NIN) coverage across Nigeria by December 2026.
The mandate was announced by the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, during a strategic stakeholders’ briefing in Abuja.
The aggressive push aims to integrate millions of un-enrolled citizens—particularly in remote, border, and underserved rural communities—into the Central National Identity Database to strengthen national security, streamline social intervention delivery, and deepen financial inclusion across the digital economy.
Key Operational Targets & Execution Strategy
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Closing the Identity Gap: With total NIN issuances currently standing above 115 million, the December deadline requires registering tens of millions of remaining citizens to hit the 95 percent national target.
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Mobile & Rural Enrollment Drive: NIMC is deploying mobile registration units, partnering with private sector registration agents, and leveraging local government wards to reach riverine and agrarian populations.
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Digital Public Infrastructure Integration: Hitting the target is critical to powering the administration’s broader digital economic pipeline, including the NUCAP rural telecom expansion, Project BRIDGE fibre deployment, and direct social welfare transfers.
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Inter-Agency Data Harmonization: NIMC is intensifying real-time data integration with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS), the Federal Road Safety Corps (FRSC), tax authorities, and commercial banks via Bank Verification Numbers (BVN).
