As of the end of December 2023, 104.16 million Nigerians had National Identity Numbers, according to information released by the National Identity Management Commission.
Compared to the 94.03 million that were reported by the end of December 2022, this is a 10.77 percent increase. This means that in 2023, just 10.13 million Nigerians registered for NIN. According to a monthly enrollment average, 844,167 Nigerians received NIN in 2023.
The Federal Government intended for 2.5 million registrations per month, which is a far cry from this. Furthermore, compared to the 21.33 million NIN registrations in 2022, the total number of NIN registrations in 2023 is low.
Commenting on enrollment in 2023, NIMC said, “NIMC’s enrolment figures as of December 31, 2023, currently stand at over 104.16 million unique records.
“The highest cumulative enrolment figure of over 11.4 million was recorded in Lagos State. Regional figures indicated an almost equal distribution across the North and South.”
So far, 530,345 Nigerians in Diaspora have gotten NINs. 59.12 million male and 45.04 million female Nigerians now have NINs.
The top five states of NIN enrolments include Lagos (11.43 million), Kano (9.19 million), Kaduna (6.45 million), Ogun (4.41 million), and Oyo (4.04 million). The bottom five states for enrolments in descending order are Taraba (1.49 million), Cross-River (1.19 million), Ekiti (1.03 million), Ebonyi (839,506), and Bayelsa (657,484).
The Federal Government of Nigeria announced in its National Development Plan 2021–2025 that it intends to enrol 100 million Nigerians in three years, or 2.5 million each month. It bemoaned how the lack of data was a national issue.
It said, “The latest of these is the Nigerian Communications Commission linking SIM Registration Data to the National Identity Number Database. NIMC plans to register an additional 100 million people in three years and has embarked on a massive registration drive. The plan is to enroll 2.5 million people monthly for the next three years.”
After NIMC appointed a new director general in 2023, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, the acting director general and chief executive officer of the organization, announced that the national identification number registration procedure would run smoothly both domestically and abroad.
She said, “A unified identity system ensures that citizens receive the services they are entitled to in a more efficient manner.
“Under my watch, NIMC will strengthen the operation and regulation of all matters related to national identity, which encompasses services such as NIN enrolment.”
Owners of bank accounts and telecom users were recently instructed by the Nigerian Communications Commission and the Central Bank of Nigeria to make sure that their SIM cards and bank accounts are connected to their NINs.
The banking and telecommunications agencies set deadlines for compliance in separate public statements.
The CBN said, “Ensure all operated accounts/wallets created through agents, are fully profiled in the NIBSS ICAD and tagged with valid and correct BVN and/or NIN.”
The Association of Licensed Telecommunications Operators of Nigeria, after getting a directive from the NCC, told the public, “That all MSISDNs (SIMs) for which the subscribers have not submitted their NINs, are to be barred on or before 28 February 2024. That where five or more MSISDNs are linked to an unverified NIN, such MSISDNs are to be barred on or before 29 March 2024.”
