Nigeria is taking its ambitious digital identity project to the smallest administrative units of the country, officials have announced, as the government scrambles to ensure every citizen is captured in its national database. The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says it is now focusing on “ward-level” registrations—targeting local communities and rural areas—to bridge the gap for those who have previously struggled to access enrolment centres. The move comes as the number of Nigerians issued with a National Identification Number (NIN) surpassed the 120 million mark, a significant milestone for Africa’s most populous nation.
A ‘gatekeeper’ for government services
The NIN has evolved from a simple identity card into a mandatory digital gatekeeper. In Nigeria today, the 11-digit number is required for everything from opening a bank account and obtaining a passport to registering a SIM card or accessing government welfare schemes.”At this time, having a NIN is essential for accessing government services,” said Mrs. Rhoda Jackden, a senior director at NIMC, speaking on behalf of Director General Abisoye Coker-Odusote. The latest push is part of a broader strategy by President Bola Tinubu’s administration to use data to drive economic planning and security. The commission is currently preparing for the rollout of a “general multipurpose card” that will integrate various government services into a single chip-based identity token.
Cleaning up the system
The agency has faced significant challenges in the past, including long queues, infrastructure deficits, and widespread reports of extortion by staff and “front-end” partners. However, the commission claims that recent reforms have led to a 40% decrease in unauthorised fees at enrolment centres. To bolster this, more than 800 new mobile enrolment devices have been deployed to reach underserved areas, alongside a modernisation of the agency’s central infrastructure.
Media as a ‘bridge’
During a meeting with the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE) in Abuja, NIMC officials highlighted the role of digital media in countering misinformation—a major hurdle in a country where conspiracy theories about data privacy often circulate on social platforms. Sola Akingboye, Chairman of the ACOE, noted that the current leadership has seen a “pivotal moment” in the country’s digital evolution, citing the resolution of a two-year backlog of payments to registration partners as a key factor in keeping the system running.
As Nigeria races toward full digital inclusion, the government’s success will depend on whether it can move beyond the big cities and convince citizens in the furthest reaches of the country that their data is both secure and useful.
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