The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced that 110 million Nigerians have registered for the National Identification Number (NIN), marking a 2.4% increase from the 107.34 million registrations recorded at the end of May 2024.
Speaking at the sixth edition of the National Day of Identity in Abuja, themed “Digital Public Infrastructure: Enabling Access to Services,” NIMC Director-General Abisoye Coker-Odusote highlighted the importance of digital public infrastructure (DPI) to Nigeria’s economic growth.
“The role of DPI has become indispensable to Nigeria’s economic development, as it offers a framework that connects citizens to essential services such as social welfare, healthcare, education, and financial inclusion,” Coker-Odusote said.
She credited the significant growth in NIN registrations to NIMC’s strategic plan and emphasized that DPI supports government and financial institutions in facilitating digital identity, digital money, and digital processes.
Coker-Odusote also highlighted the success of the student loan initiative, which has registered over 332,715 students and disbursed payments to more than 18,000 beneficiaries.
“The student loan initiative showcases how DPI can eliminate financial barriers to education,” she said.
She also noted NIMC’s partnerships with government agencies and private sector players, including the linking of NINs to phone numbers and bank verification numbers (BVNs), further streamlining digital payments and identity verification processes.
In her remarks, Coker-Odusote stressed the need for continued collaboration between the public and private sectors to drive innovation within Nigeria’s digital identity space. She also called for international cooperation to integrate global expertise and ensure that Nigeria remains competitive in the digital economy.
The surge in NIN registrations is likely connected to recent directives from the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which set a September 14 deadline for the NIN-SIM linkage. The NCC reported that over 153 million SIMs have been linked to NINs, representing a 96% compliance rate, up from 69.7% in January 2024.
NIMC’s efforts reflect Nigeria’s ongoing progress toward establishing a robust digital infrastructure to enhance service delivery and boost social investment programs.