Recently, President Bola Tinubu announced that over 126 million Nigerians had been enrolled in the National Identity Database. He noted that the achievement underscored the Federal Government’s commitment to digital transformation, national security and inclusive governance.
At an event where he was represented by the Secretary to Government George Akume, the president was full of praise for National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), extolling them for recently clearing a backlog of roughly 2.5 million records, and for speeding up enrolment all the while imbuing the process with more transparency. He further highlighted some interesting statistics like for instance, the roughly half million record updates that have been carried via web and mobile self-service apps and the fact that about 800 enrolment devices have been deployed nationwide to expand coverage. Also highlighted were the new territorial offices been established to improve oversight and service delivery.
Reflecting on the theme of the event, “Public Key Infrastructure: Backbone to Digital Public Infrastructure,” the president stressed that a robust identity system is central to building trust in Nigeria’s digital economy. He further pointed out that improved governance and the rollout of effective social security depended on the integration of public service delivery with secure identity management.
The president would go on to cite the success stories that the system had enabled like the reductions in pensions fraud, swift disbursement of student loans and scholarships, the accurate targeting of farmer incentives, and the access to humanitarian support for displaced persons, among other success stories.
The president disclosed that the expansion has extended beyond Nigeria’s borders, noting that more than 200 diaspora centres now serve Nigerians abroad, while dedicated enrolment exercises have registered refugees, internally displaced persons and inmates of correctional facilities. In addition, a disability inclusion policy has trained over 5,000 enrolment agents to better serve persons with disabilities.
The national identity database has a capacity to handle 250 million records. This is to ensure that no Nigerian cannot be catered for by the enrolment exercise. NIMC has also integrated with 125 partner agencies to create a unified ecosystem that saves costs and improves service delivery. Some of the key MDAs that have been integrated with include: Nigeria Immigration Service for passports, the Federal Inland Revenue Service for tax records, the National Population Commission for birth registration, the National Health Insurance Authority for healthcare enrolment, Universal Basic Education for school records and the Nigerian Communications Commission for NIN-SIM Linkage (the NIN-SIM linkage has helped to reduce fraud and increase national security).
In a statement by the special adviser, media and publicity to the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Yomi Odunuga, the president emphasized that the National Identity Number (NIN) provides seamless access to government services, drives financial inclusion, strengthens national planning and enhances security. He said the NIN has become vital for eliminating ghost beneficiaries, streamlining social programmes and ensuring subsidies reach those who truly need them.
He added that the NIN now facilitates banking, telecommunications, healthcare and education services while enabling citizens to participate fully in the digital economy. He stressed that integration of the NIN across sectors will reduce fraud, boost revenue collection and position Nigeria competitively in global technology-driven development.
The president concluded by reaffirming that the identity system is not just bureaucratic busywork but a key pillar of inclusive growth and national security.
Most countries around the world did not have digital identity management systems prior to the year 2000. Most systems were paper-based and were often fragmented, slow and vulnerable to fraud.
Between 2000 and 2010, countries generally started digitizing their civil registries and identity databases. A notable pioneer was Estonia whose e-ID program launched in 2002, became a model of digital governance. Another notable was India, whose Aadhaar program, launched in 2009, assigned unique digital IDs to over a billion citizens.
Between 2010 and 2020, over 100 countries had adopted digital ID systems, integrating them with banking, healthcare, and social services. Some countries’ systems like Singapore’s SingPass, Sweden’s BankID, and Canada’s Verified.Me became models of secure, user-friendly systems.
The Covid-19 pandemic saw Digital ID systems being used to deliver relief payments, verify vaccination status, and enable remote access to services. Countries like South Korea, Germany, and Japan expanded digital ID use for public health and economic recovery.
As a result of increasing concerns surrounding data privacy, governments in the last few years began addressing concerns around surveillance, data protection, and inclusion. This has led to emphasis shifting to privacy-by-design, user consent, and interoperability across platforms.
Nigeria’s journey with digital identity management seems to have been the fairly typical country experience. Prior to 1999, Identity systems in the country were fragmented and paper-based, leading to a great deal of duplication and inefficiency.
The return of democracy saw early attempts at reform. The government began exploring digital identity systems to support governance and service delivery, though initial efforts were limited in scope and lacked coordination.
The year 2007 saw the establishment of the Nigeria Identity Management Commission (NIMC). NIMC was given the mandate to develop, and manage Nigeria’s national identity database and issue the National Identification Number (NIN).
In 2014, NIMC introduced a biometric-based electronic ID card linked to the NIN. As of early 2025, NIMC has issued biometric-based electronic ID cards to approximately 115 million Nigerians. The latest version is a multi-purpose biometric ID card that supports digital payments, social interventions (health insurance, student loans, agricultural support), and of course, identity verification. The rollout of the new card aligns with Nigeria’s Renewed Hope Agenda and aims to integrate identity with financial and social services.
