Youth, Women Dominate Voter Registration Drive Ahead of Elections

Abuja, Nigeria

Nigeria’s Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise has recorded a total of 2,685,725 completed registrations as of December 5, 2025, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

An analysis of the registration data highlights a significant engagement from Nigeria’s younger demographic and a greater total participation from women, trends that could influence the direction of future elections.

Key Demographic Analysis

The data, covering the fourteenth week of the CVR, shows pronounced participation in three main areas:

• Youth Dominance: The largest age group registering is the Youth (18-34), accounting for over 73% of all new registrants, with 1,974,894 individuals. This underscores the high political interest and mobilization among Nigeria’s young population.
• Female Majority: 56% of the total completed registrations—equating to 1,508,559 individuals—are female. In contrast, males account for 44% or 1,177,166 registrants.
• Top Occupational Group: Students form the largest occupational group, representing nearly 31% of all registrants, totalling 831,386. This is followed by the business sector at 18.35% (492,866) and “House Wives” at 16.45% (441,822).

State-by-State Registration Totals

Registration figures vary widely across Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT).

State	Total Completed Registrations	% of Total
Osun	208,357	7.76%
Kano	159,669	5.95%
Sokoto	152,650	5.68%
Imo	145,561	5.42%
Borno	123,835	4.61%

The INEC data indicates that Osun State has the highest number of completed registrations at 208,357. Conversely, Abia State and Cross River State have the lowest figures among the active states, with 16,691 and 16,822 completed registrations, respectively.

It is important to note that registration in Anambra State is suspended until after the Governorship Election on November 8, 2025, in line with Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act 2022^.

Online vs. Physical Registration

The data reveals a preference for online pre-registration, which accounted for 1,576,137 registrations, compared to 1,109,588 for physical-only registrations.

The total figure of 2,685,725 is a preliminary count, pending data clean-up through the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) to address claims and objections.