President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has commended the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) for its progress in identity management, as enrolment in the National Identity Database surpasses 126 million.
Speaking at the National Day of Identity celebration in Abuja on Tuesday, the President—represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation, Senator George Akume, described the milestone as a major step towards building a secure and inclusive digital identity system for Nigeria.
He highlighted NIMC’s recent achievements, including clearing a backlog of 2.5 million enrolments, expanding services across the country and in the diaspora, and integrating the National Identification Number (NIN) into key sectors such as health, education, agriculture, social welfare, and security.
NIMC Director-General, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed that 123 million Nigerians are already captured in the database, aligning with the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) 16.9, which seeks to ensure legal identity for all. She added that diaspora enrolment has increased by 52 percent, while partnerships with more than 50 public and private organisations have broadened access to identity services.
Outlining NIMC’s strategy, Coker-Odusote said the commission is anchored on three pillars, inclusion, protection, and empowerment. She assured Nigerians that the database remains secure despite rumours of breaches, and emphasised ongoing efforts to strengthen cybersecurity and expand enrolment nationwide.
President Tinubu also noted that the database’s capacity has been upgraded from 100 million to 250 million records, supported by over 1,500 enrolment devices across Nigeria and more than 200 centres abroad. He revealed that special enrolments have been carried out for refugees, internally displaced persons, and correctional facility inmates.
On security, he disclosed that over 30 fraudulent operators have been arrested, illegal centres shut down, and phishing sites dismantled. He further applauded NIMC’s ISO 27001:2022 certification for data protection, describing it as proof of compliance with global standards.
To enhance service delivery, Tinubu said NIMC has introduced a High Availability Verification Service with 99.9 percent uptime, modernised customer support tools, and improved staff welfare with promotions and salary reviews for over 2,800 personnel.
Reiterating the centrality of identity to his administration’s Renewed Hope Agenda, the President stressed that the NIN is crucial for delivering social welfare programmes, student loans, agricultural subsidies, financial inclusion, effective national planning, and eliminating ghost beneficiaries from government initiatives.
“The NIN is more than just a number—it is a gateway to opportunity, security, and dignity,” Tinubu said. “Behind these enrolments are workers claiming pensions without fear of fraud, students accessing loans with ease, farmers receiving targeted incentives, and displaced persons obtaining humanitarian support. This is the true power of identity, and this is the progress we celebrate.”
