The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has registered 10 million new National Identification Numbers (NINs) between January and October 2025, raising the country’s total enrollment to 124 million. This marks one of the strongest annual increases the agency has recorded in the last ten years.

The update was shared in Abuja by Alvan Ikoku, NIMC’s Deputy Director and Head of Strategy, during a briefing with fellows of the 2025 DPI/DPG Journalism Fellowship. Ikoku noted that NIN registration has experienced consistent and accelerated growth, rising from 114 million in 2024 to the current figure.

Gender Distribution

• Men: 69.7 million
• Women: 54.2 million

Men continue to account for a slightly larger share of total registrations. Ikoku also highlighted that enrollment remains strong nationwide and among Nigerians living abroad.

State-by-State Registration Overview

Lagos remains the top-performing state for NIN enrollment, followed by Kano and Kaduna.

States with the Highest Enrollments

• Lagos: 13.1 million
• Kano: 11.5 million
• Kaduna: 7.3 million
• Ogun: 5.12 million
• Oyo: 4.7 million

States with the Lowest Enrollments

• Bayelsa: 803,874
• Ebonyi: 1.03 million
• Ekiti: 1.16 million

Diaspora Figures

• 1.53 million Nigerians abroad have obtained their NINs, with men making up a higher proportion of this group.

Quick Stats

• 124 million total NIN enrollments
• 10 million new registrations in 2025
• 1.53 million diaspora enrollments
• 69.7 million male registrants
• 54.2 million female registrants
• 13.1 million enrolled in Lagos (highest)
• 803,874 enrolled in Bayelsa (lowest)

Slow Progress in Nigeria’s National Identity Harmonization

Nigeria’s effort to unify identity systems, combining data from BVN, voter registration, SIM records, passports, and driver’s licenses, continues to face delays.

Ikoku attributed the slow pace to weak interagency collaboration. In some cases, existing laws limit how institutions can share data, creating obstacles that must be resolved before full harmonization can be achieved.

NIMC’s Roadmap for Strengthening Identity Management

To enhance the national identity ecosystem, NIMC plans to:

• Expand the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) to store up to 250 million records
• Deploy the NIMC 2.0 architecture
• Lay the foundation for a comprehensive Nigeria Stack
• Increase mobile registration in rural communities, IDP camps, and correctional facilities
• Fast-track rollout of the General Multi-Purpose Card (GMPC), designed for payments, social services, travel and more

According to Ikoku, achieving a truly seamless identity system will depend on consistent funding, stronger infrastructure, and improved public education.