FG Targets 95% NIN Coverage as Enrolment Nears 140 Million

The Federal Government has set a target of achieving 95 per cent National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment coverage across Nigeria by December 2026, as part of efforts to strengthen the country’s digital identity system and support economic development.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during the 8th National Identity Day celebration. He was represented at the event by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.

The President said the government was developing the digital infrastructure needed to make Nigeria’s identity system a major driver of economic growth, stressing that a reliable digital identity framework was essential to the country’s digital economy.

According to him, Nigeria’s digital ecosystem must be effectively connected to its digital economy and broader development goals.

He said, “Nigeria’s digital ecosystem must power Nigeria’s digital economy and Nigeria’s digital economy must help power Africa’s economy.

Our identity infrastructure will be a critical component of this ambition.”

Tinubu explained that the government was working towards an integrated system where trusted digital identity would facilitate digital commerce, financial services, social protection programmes, healthcare, education and mobility.

He also disclosed that the government was accelerating the development of a Sovereign Public Key Infrastructure (PKI), which would serve as a trust layer within the country’s broader Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) architecture.

The initiative, he said, would strengthen the foundation for secure digital signatures, authenticated electronic documents, encrypted transactions and secure government communications.

Tinubu added that the system would enable businesses to conduct digital transactions with greater confidence while allowing government documents to be authenticated without the need for cumbersome physical processes.

The President reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to developing a robust DPI capable of improving citizens’ access to public services, describing digital infrastructure as increasingly important to healthcare, education and financial inclusion.

He also commended the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Dr Abisoye Coker-Odusote, for her leadership and efforts to expand the country’s identity management system.

Speaking at the event, the Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, said effective identity management was critical to economic growth, national security and social inclusion.

Tunji-Ojo said the enactment of the NIMC Act 2026 had provided a stronger legal foundation for digital identity management and the expansion of Nigeria’s digital economy.

He stressed that a modern state required reliable population data to effectively plan and deliver public services, including education, healthcare and social intervention programmes.

The minister also urged NIMC to expand NIN enrolment opportunities for Nigerians living abroad and accelerate the development of trusted PKI and DPI systems to strengthen secure digital authentication.

He encouraged Nigerians to enrol for the NIN and safeguard their identity credentials, saying, “Your identity is your digital footprint.”

The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said trusted identity management had become increasingly important to education planning and access.

Alausa disclosed that the ministry was deploying NIN through the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), with the identification number serving as the foundation for cleaning up the education database covering more than 75 million students from basic to tertiary institutions.

He said NIN had become mandatory for JAMB registration and other examinations as part of measures to reduce examination malpractice, eliminate multiple identities and improve the accuracy of student records.

According to him, integration with NIMC had also enabled more than 800,000 students to access financing through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).

The minister commended NIMC for extending enrolment services to 8,809 wards nationwide, saying the initiative would make identity registration more accessible, particularly to school-age children and people in underserved communities.

Earlier, Coker-Odusote disclosed that the national identity database had grown from approximately 80 million NINs at the beginning of the current administration to nearly 140 million.

She said the national identity infrastructure currently had the capacity to accommodate up to 250 million records.
According to her, NIMC launched the Ward-Level Enrolment Drive in February 2026, taking free NIN registration services to all 8,809 wards across the country.

She added that more than 5,000 enrolment agents had been trained to improve access for persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

Coker-Odusote also highlighted the launch of the NINAuth application on October 30, 2025, describing it as a consent-based and citizen-controlled authentication service.

She said the commission had also relaunched the General Multipurpose Card (GMPC), which can be used for identity verification, financial transactions and direct government-to-citizen services.

The NIMC Director-General further noted that the NIMC Act 2026 had strengthened data protection provisions, expanded the mandatory use of NIN and increased penalties for identity-related offences.

She disclosed that the NIN system was increasingly being integrated into economic activities, with more than 173 private companies, 30 state governments and 14 public institutions licensed as enrolment partners.

Coker-Odusote added that NIN had served as the Tax ID for individuals since January 1, 2026, while more than 800,000 students had accessed education financing through NELFUND following the integration of the identity system.

She further said integration with the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Revenue Service and National Population Commission was helping to strengthen national security and improve public service delivery.

The National Identity Day celebration was attended by the ministers of Interior, Education, and Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy, among other government officials and stakeholders.

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