More than 136 million Nigerians and legal residents have now been enrolled in the National Identity Database (NIDB), according to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
The announcement was made on Tuesday by NIMC’s Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, during a courtesy visit to the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning. The development was disclosed in a statement issued by the commission’s Head of Corporate Communications, Kayode Adegoke.
The latest figure marks a significant increase from the 117.36 million enrolments recorded as of February 28, 2025, highlighting the Federal Government’s push to expand the National Identification Number (NIN) system nationwide.
During the visit, Coker-Odusote presented the newly enacted NIMC Act 2026, which repeals the 2007 law establishing the commission. She said the legislation modernises Nigeria’s digital identity framework by making the NIN the country’s foundational identity under the “one person, one identity” policy.
She explained that the new law also designates NIMC as the root certificate authority for Nigeria’s national digital infrastructure while strengthening data protection, cybersecurity and digital identity credentials.
“The Federal Government remains committed to enrolling and issuing NINs to all Nigerians and legal residents within the shortest possible time,” Coker-Odusote said.
She added that the commission is prepared to work closely with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to leverage the NIN for economic planning and other national development initiatives.
Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, described the NIMC Act 2026 as a transformative milestone that will strengthen Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem and support national planning.
He commended the leadership of NIMC for securing the passage of the legislation, saying it provides a solid legal foundation for a trusted, secure and inclusive identity management system.
Bagudu, however, stressed that the success of the law would depend on its implementation and the practical benefits delivered to Nigerians.
He also called for stronger collaboration among the federal, state and local governments to eliminate duplicate identity databases and ensure the NIN becomes Nigeria’s single, universally accepted identity standard for efficient service delivery and improved governance.
President Bola Tinubu signed the NIMC Act 2026 into law on June 26, replacing the commission’s 2007 establishing Act. At the time, Interior Minister Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo said the legislation would strengthen Nigeria’s legal framework for digital identity management, cybersecurity and secure digital authentication.
