Tinubu sets December 2026 deadline for nationwide NIN registration

President Bola Tinubu has directed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to register every Nigerian and legal resident in the national identity database by December 2026 as part of efforts to strengthen governance, improve service delivery and enhance national planning.

The Director-General of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed the directive during an interview on Channels Television, describing the exercise as a significant milestone in the Federal Government's drive to establish a comprehensive and reliable national identity system.

Private agents to expand registration

To achieve the target, Coker-Odusote said the commission is partnering with private enrolment agents under the World Bank-supported Identification for Development (ID4D) programme.

Under the arrangement, accredited front-end partners will carry out enrolment on behalf of NIMC, making it easier for Nigerians in remote and underserved communities to obtain their National Identification Number (NIN).

She said the collaboration is not only expected to accelerate nationwide enrolment but also create employment opportunities while helping the commission meet the government's deadline.

According to the NIMC boss, the NIN is a unique identity assigned to every individual, ensuring that each Nigerian has only one verified identity throughout their lifetime.

She added that completing the nationwide registration would provide the country with a more accurate population database. While Nigeria's population is currently estimated at between 200 million and 250 million, she noted that only a comprehensive identity register can establish the actual figure.

She explained that reliable population data is essential for effective national planning, budgeting, healthcare, education, security and the equitable distribution of public resources.

New biometric system to prevent multiple registrations

Coker-Odusote also disclosed that NIMC has upgraded its biometric verification system to eliminate duplicate registrations.

She explained that under the previous system, duplicate records were detected only after applicants' information had been uploaded to the database. However, the new technology performs real-time verification using fingerprint and facial recognition, making multiple registrations virtually impossible.

According to her, if an individual attempts to enrol more than once, the system automatically identifies the duplicate, validates the genuine record and rejects the new application, thereby strengthening the integrity of the national identity database and reducing identity fraud.

NIMC Act 2026 makes NIN Nigeria's primary identity credential

The nationwide registration drive follows President Tinubu's signing of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) Act 2026 into law on June 26, replacing the 2007 legislation.

The new law reinforces the Federal Government's "One Person, One Identity" policy and establishes the National Identification Number as the country's primary identity credential.

Under the legislation, government agencies and private organisations will no longer maintain separate biometric databases. Instead, they are expected to verify customers' identities directly through NIMC using secure Application Programming Interface (API) integration.

Telecommunications companies have already adopted the system, enabling facial biometrics and other personal information submitted during SIM registration to be instantly matched with the national identity database.

With the implementation of the new law, the NIN is expected to play a more prominent role in accessing key public and private sector services, including banking, passport applications, tax administration, pensions, consumer credit, land transactions and other government services.

More than 136 million Nigerians have already been enrolled in the NIN database.

Expected economic benefits

The Federal Government believes a unified national identity database will help reduce fraud in banking and credit markets by making it easier for financial institutions to verify customers and borrowers.

Officials also expect the initiative to improve tax administration, enhance public service delivery and provide more reliable data to support long-term economic planning and policy formulation.