Over 120m Nigerians have enrolled for NIN, says NIMC DG

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says over 120 million Nigerians have so far been captured in the ongoing national identity number (NIN) enrollment exercise since its inception.

Speaking on Wednesday during a media briefing in Abuja, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, director-general of NIMC, said enrollment would continue across both rural and urban areas.

“We have enrolled many Nigerians and still counting so we are definitely going to continue to ensure that we enroll more Nigerians before the end of this year,” Coker-Odusote said.

“One of the things that we have done under the partnership with the World Bank on the Nigeria Identification for Development (ID4D) project is that we have been able to ensure that the private sector is integrated into what we do.

“We have collaboration with the private sector through our scheme known as Frontier Partners where they join us to enroll Nigerians nationwide and they go out there with us and enroll Nigerians.”

Coker-Odusote said the commission has created an enabling environment by providing jobs nationwide.

The NIMC DG said state and local government offices have been equipped with upgraded tools and well-trained staff to assist with enrollment.

On pricing for NIN-related services, Coker-Odusote said some fees were removed, some reviewed downward, while others were increased, in line with the new pricing framework.

‘NIGERIANS CAN NOW UPDATE NIN RECORDS ONLINE’

She said citizens can book appointments online, visit enrollment centres to pre-enroll, fill in their details, and complete biometric capture.

According to Coker-Odusote, the pre-enrolment system has streamlined the process, reducing delays and making biometric data capture more efficient, as submitted information is now authenticated and processed online beforehand.

“People may move from one location to another location and they want to update because of jobs, because of family, people relocate to different parts of Nigeria,” the NIMC DG said.

“So, if you move from Lagos State to Kaduna or you move from Abuja to Cross River, you need to be able to update your records.

“So rather than allowing people to come and queue up at our centres, we created the modification platform online.”

She said the self-assist platform enables users to log in using their biometrics, verify their identity, comply with cybersecurity and data protection policies, and make updates or changes to their records online.

“The NIMC NIN authentication application is the official service for integration with the Commission’s backend infrastructure,” Coker-Odusote said.

“It introduces a robust layer of protection, empowering individuals with greater control over their personal information.”

The NIMC boss said access to student loans is tied to NIN enrollment, adding that the initiative would help boost economic growth and promote financial inclusion.

“The government has provided access to facility, loan facilities for students or aspiring students that would like to further their higher education to be able to apply for this process with ease,” she said.

“All you need to do is go on to their portal, input your name and what that does is you have a single source of information and verifiable information.”

The director-general said the initiative aims to prevent duplication and curb identity fraud, noting that students have successfully applied for the loans through the process.

Coker-Odusote added that the commission has engaged cybersecurity experts to strengthen its systems to align with international practices.

She said reforms have helped reduce cases of extortion and corruption by at least 40 percent.