Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that Nigerians will soon be able to register for their National Identification Number (NIN) and voter cards at the same centres.
Gatekeepers News reports that the INEC chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this on Wednesday when the management of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) visited the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Yakubu said both INEC and NIMC hold the largest biometric databases in the country, making collaboration crucial for streamlining citizens’ records.
“Since the ultimate goal is to enrol every citizen with NIMC, we look forward to the day when your database will serve as the single source of truth for citizenship identification in Nigeria,” Yakubu said.
“When the time comes, the national register of voters may simply draw from the citizenship register as is the case in many jurisdictions around the world. This may also enable citizens to vote in future elections from their places of choice anywhere in the country, rather than the places they register as voters.”
The INEC chairman confirmed that NIMC officials will now be deployed to some centres during the ongoing continuous voter registration (CVR) exercise.
“The idea is to provide more Nigerians who are yet to enrol for the National Identification Number (NIN) the opportunity to do so,” he explained.
He added that a pilot scheme was successfully carried out in Anambra State between July 8 and 20, 2025, and the project will now be expanded nationwide.
“Citizens will therefore have the opportunity to register as voters while simultaneously registering for the NIN. In due course, NIMC will provide details of the CVR locations where its officials will be deployed and also provide the modalities for the NIN registration,” Yakubu said.
He welcomed the partnership as part of INEC’s broader efforts to work with national institutions to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral system.
“We welcome this partnership with NIMC which is in keeping with our commitment to synergise with every national institution to strengthen electoral activities in Nigeria.”
