National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says enrolment for the National Identification Number (NIN) has exceeded 136 million as the Federal Government intensifies efforts to build a unified digital identity system across the country.
Gatekeepers News reports that the milestone was announced during a stakeholder engagement with the Federal Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning following the implementation of the new NIMC Act 2026.
According to NIMC Director-General, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, the new law replaces the 2007 Act and establishes the NIN as Nigeria’s foundational identity under the “one person, one identity” policy.
She said the legislation also strengthens data protection, cybersecurity and digital credentials, while positioning the commission as the root certificate authority for the country’s digital identity infrastructure.
Coker-Odusote said the Federal Government remains committed to enrolling all Nigerians and legal residents within the shortest possible time. She added that the commission would work closely with the Ministry of Budget and Economic Planning to leverage the NIN for economic planning and national development initiatives.
Also speaking, the Minister of Budget and Economic Planning, Abubakar Atiku Bagudu, described the NIMC Act 2026 as a major step towards strengthening Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem.
He urged collaboration among federal, state and local governments to eliminate multiple identity databases and ensure the NIN serves as the country’s single, universally accepted identity standard for efficient service delivery and good governance.
