The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) announced that a remarkable milestone has been achieved in the country’s National Identification Number (NIN) registration process.
The Director-General of NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, revealed that over 101 million Nigerians have successfully registered for their NINs. Notably, women account for 44% of the total number of registrants.
Through the concerted efforts of the NIMC and its dedicated workforce, 90% of adults aged 15 years and above have been successfully captured in the NIN database.
The remaining individuals are primarily children who are currently in hospitals or attending schools, and they will be registered at their earliest convenience.
“As of today, the National Identity Database holds over 101 million records and NINs issued. It has been a painstaking effort to capture good quality data, of which we are proud and can boldly open for audit,” said DG Aliyu Aziz.
To facilitate this unprecedented registration drive, the NIMC has established 5,500 active enrollment centers across the nation, ensuring widespread coverage of the enrollment activities, even in remote areas and communities.
Furthermore, the commission has deployed over 15,000 registration devices nationwide, enhancing the efficiency and expediency of the registration process.
In a bid to broaden its reach and expedite the registration process, the NIMC has collaborated with 170 private firms, more than 30 state governments, and public institutions. Their support and cooperation have played a crucial role in making NIN registration accessible to all eligible citizens.
Despite the significant progress, the NIMC DG pointed out that there is still a gender gap in the Nigerian ID project. The data analysis reveals that more males have been covered compared to females. DG Aziz emphasized that addressing this disparity is a priority for the NIMC.
“Analysis of the National ID database has shown that there is a low coverage and gender gap in Nigeria ID project considering the notion that there are more women than men. With over 101 million registered persons to date, only 44 per cent are females. This shows that more males have been registered than females,” explained DG Aziz.
To bridge this gap, the NIMC has conducted gender deep dive studies in collaboration with the World Bank to identify and understand the barriers hindering women’s access to identity registration.
Some of the challenges identified include lack of awareness, perceived lack of value/use of ID, accessibility issues, registration time constraints, lack of documentation, and biometric capture issues.
The NIMC remains committed to addressing these challenges and ensuring that all Nigerian citizens, regardless of gender or location, can easily obtain their NIN and access the associated benefits and services.
The NIMC calls upon all eligible citizens who have not yet registered for their NIN to do so promptly at the nearest enrollment center.
The NIN serves as a crucial tool for national development, security, and access to essential services, and the commission aims to achieve universal enrollment for all Nigerians
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