The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced that 110 million Nigerians are now registered for the National Identification Number (NIN), marking a 2.4% increase from the 107.34 million recorded in May.
Abisoye Coker-Odusote, NIMC’s Director-General, highlighted this milestone during the sixth edition of the National Day of Identity in Abuja.
She attributed the rise to NIMC’s strategic efforts and emphasized the crucial role of digital public infrastructure (DPI) in Nigeria’s economic growth.
“DPI is fundamental to Nigeria’s economic development, connecting citizens to vital services like social welfare, healthcare, education, and financial inclusion,” Coker-Odusote said.
She noted that the NIN provides a solid foundation for integrating data exchange and payment systems.
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Coker-Odusote also highlighted the impact of digital infrastructure on government and financial institutions, citing initiatives like the student loan program, which has registered 332,715 students and disbursed payments to over 18,000. “Our advancements reflect the need for open and interoperable digital systems, supported by robust public-private partnerships,” she added.
The increase in NIN registrations may also be linked to recent regulatory actions by the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC), which set a September 14 deadline for the NIN-SIM linkage exercise.
The NCC reported that over 153 million SIMs are now linked to NINs, representing a 96% compliance rate.
Coker-Odusote stressed the importance of international collaboration to maintain Nigeria’s competitive edge in the global digital economy and enhance service delivery.
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Speaking at the event, Coker-Odusote attributed the achievement to NIMC’s strategic plan, emphasising that digital public infrastructure (DPI) is essential to Nigeria’s economic development.
“The role of DPI has become indispensable to Nigeria’s economic development, as it offers a framework that connects citizens to essential services such as social welfare, healthcare, education, and financial inclusion,” Coker-Odusote said.
“At the forefront of this transformation is NIMC, responsible for the National Identification Number, which has enrolled over 110 million Nigerians.
“This provides a unique opportunity for the other two pillars of the DPI – data exchange and payment – to be layered on foundational identity for its effective development and adoption.”
Coker-Odusote said digital infrastructure has supported the government and financial institutions in enabling digital payments, digital money, digital identity and digital processes.
She said the student loan initiative, which has supported 257 institutions, registered 332,715 students for loans, and disbursed payments to over 18,000 students, demonstrates how DPI can remove financial obstacles to education.
“Our journey with DPI reflects its similarity to physical infrastructure, requiring it to be open, interoperable and guided by set of governance rules and as such the public and private sectors need to intensify their partnership to drive innovation within the digital identity space and reap the benefits of DPI.”
On August 28, the NCC announced September 14 as the “final deadline” for its NIN-SIM linkage exercise, directing all mobile network operators (MNOs) to complete the verification and linkage of SIMs to NINs by the set date.