Nigeria Adds 1m To NIN Database As Digital ID Push Faces 2026 Deadline

Nigeria’s national digital identity drive gained fresh momentum in March 2025, with enrolments for the National Identification Number (NIN) hitting 118.4 million.

The latest figures released by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) show that one million Nigerians were newly registered last month alone, an uptick that reflects renewed urgency amid international funding and looming targets.

The drive is part of the World Bank-backed Digital Identity for National Development (ID4D) project, which aims to provide a legal identity to all Nigerians. However, the country is still playing catch-up after missing its initial milestone to capture at least 148 million citizens by June 30, 2024. That shortfall prompted the World Bank to extend and restructure the project, which now runs until June 30, 2026.

The total funding for the ID4D initiative stands at $430 million, co-financed by the World Bank, French Development Agency (AFD), and the European Investment Bank (EIB). According to the bank, the extension was necessary to support the delivery of an inclusive and trusted digital ID system that improves governance and access to public services.

Geographically, Lagos State continues to lead NIN registrations with 12.7 million enrolments, followed by Kano State at 10.4 million. Kaduna State remains a distant third with 6.9 million.

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Gender data from NIMC shows that men account for the majority of enrollees, with 66.9 million (56.5 per cent) registered, compared to 51.5 million women (43.5 per cent).

Other states with strong NIN figures include Ogun (4.9 million), Oyo (4.5 million), Katsina (4 million), FCT (3.8 million), Rivers (3.5 million), Delta (3.2 million), and Jigawa (3.1 million).

Meanwhile, Bayelsa State recorded the lowest number of enrolments at just 767,620. Other low-performing states include Ebonyi (999,991), Ekiti (1.1 million), Cross River (1.4 million), and Taraba (1.7 million).

As the deadline draws closer, the pressure is mounting on authorities to ramp up efforts, particularly in underperforming regions, to meet the goal of universal digital identity coverage.