Only 10.13 million Nigerians registered for the National Identification Number (NIN) as at December 2023, according to the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
Going by this number, Nigeria now has 104.16 million as total number of NIN enrolments.
This marks a 10.77% growth from the end of December 2022, where the recorded figure stood at 94.03 million.
With only 10.13 million individuals registered for NIN in 2023, this signals a considerable gap from the Federal Government’s ambitious target of 2.5 million monthly registrations.
The monthly average of enrolments throughout 2023 reveals that approximately 844,167 Nigerians obtained NINs each month, falling significantly short of the government’s set objective.
This figure is notably lower than the 21.33 million registrations recorded in 2022. While the numbers highlight progress, they underscore the challenges in achieving the targeted registration rate.
Lagos State recorded the highest cumulative enrolment figure, exceeding 11.4 million, with regional distribution indicating a near-equal spread between the North and South. Notably, 530,345 Nigerians in the diaspora have acquired NINs, contributing to a total of 59.12 million male and 45.04 million female Nigerians having NINs.
The top five states leading in NIN enrolments include Lagos (11.43 million), Kano (9.19 million), Kaduna (6.45 million), Ogun (4.41 million), and Oyo (4.04 million). Conversely, the bottom five states in descending order are Taraba (1.49 million), Cross-River (1.19 million), Ekiti (1.03 million), Ebonyi (839,506), and Bayelsa (657,484).
Despite the concerted efforts, the numbers fall short of the government’s National Development Plan 2021-2025, aiming to enroll 100 million Nigerians in three years at a rate of 2.5 million people monthly. The challenges in data availability in the country were acknowledged as a hurdle.
Meanwhile, Nigerians applying to change their date of birth on the National Identification Number (NIN) database would henceforth be required to provide an electronic civil registration and vital statistics system (e-CRVS) certificate from the National Population Commission (NPC).
The requirement is contained in new guidelines by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), led by Abisoye Coker-Odusote, the Acting Director-General/Chief Executive Officer, for date of birth change it released recently via its X handle.
Similarly, both the Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) and the Nigerian Communications Commission have also directed individuals to link their bank accounts and SIMs with their NINs, issuing deadlines for compliance.
In December 2023, CBN issued a directive imposing a “Post No Debit” restriction on all bank accounts without a Bank Verification Number (BVN) and National Identification Number (NIN) effective April 2024.
While the registration drive continues, achieving the ambitious targets remains a collective challenge that involves various stakeholders in the public and private sectors.
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