Speaking on Wednesday, July 17, 2025, at a high-level two-day workshop Guild of Online Publishers (GOCOP) held in Lagos, the NIMC boss reaffirmed her administration’s commitment to building an inclusive, secure, and citizen-centric identity system, while urging media professionals to play a more proactive role in combating misinformation, raising awareness, and building public trust.

“Your role is pivotal and indispensable to the successful transformation of Nigeria’s digital identity landscape,” Coker-Odusote declared through Lanre Yusuf, director of Software and Biometrics at NIMC, while thanking the publishers for their consistent reportage and support. “You have walked this journey with us. You have reported the highs and the lows. You have challenged us, supported us, and held up a mirror to our processes.”

Since assuming office, Engr. Coker-Odusote said she has led far-reaching reforms at NIMC, and now delivering measurable impact across sectors.

In just three years, NIN enrolment has surged from 72.7 million in January 2022 to over 122 million as of July 2025, representing a 49% increase.

This, she said, is not just about numbers, but about ensuring more Nigerians have a verifiable means of identity to access life-changing services, from education to agriculture, healthcare, social welfare, and finance.

Building a People-Centered Identity System

According to the DG, the new identity system, unlike the fragmented, exclusionary structure of the past, is now being anchored on inter-agency coordination, citizen inclusion, digital integration, and system transparency.

She highlighted critical partnerships with agencies such as JAMB, FIRS, NHIS, NCoS, CBN, FRSC, NSITF, PENCOM, and the Nigeria Immigration Service, which have collectively strengthened authentication and verification services across government operations.

“These collaborations are delivering real, tangible benefits,” she noted. “Students are accessing loans faster through NELFUND. Verified farmers are receiving subsidies. Entrepreneurs are unlocking business support.”

A System That Works, and a Workforce behind It

Engr. Coker-Odusote also spotlighted NIMC’s internal reforms aimed at strengthening its workforce. Over 2,300 members of staff have been promoted between 2023 and 2024, while more than 1,300 officers have undergone training and re-training.

She further announced that the Commission has successfully cleared a two-year backlog of payments owed to front-end enrolment partners, restoring trust and deepening collaboration.

Technological tools like the NINAuth mobile app, Self-Service NIN Enrolment and Modification platforms, and Contactless Biometric Solutions have also been introduced to speed up service delivery and enhance user experience.

In a heartfelt appeal, Engr. Coker-Odusote invited media stakeholders, especially online publishers under the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), to move from mere reportage to active collaboration.

“We urge you to combat misinformation, promote transparency, and use your platforms to ensure every Nigerian knows their rights and the value of identity,” she said.

She also noted that gaps remain in digital literacy, public awareness, and trust. These gaps, she said, are best addressed through a sustained media partnership grounded in fact-based storytelling, public enlightenment campaigns, and accurate information.

“Together, we can ensure that every Nigerian is empowered to say, confidently and securely: ‘I am recognised. I am included. I am identified,” she concluded.

Also speaking, Mrs. Tito Ejenavi, coordinator of the Project Implementation Unit (PIU) for the Nigeria Digital Identification for Development (ID4D) Project, said it was more than just another media workshop; it was a call to action.

She said the goal was to build stronger bridges between Nigeria’s digital identity ecosystem and the media voices that shape public opinion.

Mrs. Ejenavi underscored the critical role that the media plays in shaping narratives around national identity.

“You are the conscience of our democracy,” she told the Fourth Estate. “You influence public behaviour and amplify the voices of everyday Nigerians. This partnership matters.”

“Our mission is rooted in the principle of inclusion,” she declared. “We’re not just building systems—we’re investing in people.”

Since the project became effective in 2021, tangible milestones have emerged:

• Over 7,167 enrolment agents trained and certified across rural communities.
• Critical policies validated, including the National Inclusion Strategy and the Disability Enrolment Policy.
• Technological upgrades to improve biometric systems, data recovery infrastructure, and service delivery.
• The rollout of NIMS 2.0, Nigeria’s next-generation identity management system, aimed at deepening reach and functionality.

On her part, Ms. Maureen Chigbo, the GOCOP President thanked the management of NIMC for organizing the roundtable, adding that they are ready to work with the Commission to ensure accurate information are disseminated regarding digital identity management in the country.

“And you might ask me: What is the very essence of the Guild? The very essence of the Guild is to sanitize the online publishing community. Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, have helped to sanitize the industry.

“We as professionals who have been in the industry for years, and I mean if you put all of us together, we have more than 1000 years of experience.

“And that’s why today, GOCOP is fast becoming a household name. And it’s not just becoming a household name; we want it to be entrenched in the minds of all the chief executives in the country including the parastatals.

She went ahead to present GOCOP’s book to the representatives of NIMC, while calling for support to (GOCOP) members.

“Members of Guild of Corporate Online Publishers are just journalists. No, we are not. We are mediapreneurs (media entrepreneurs),” Ms. Chigbo said.

The roundtable, now in its fifth edition, is part of a broader initiative by NIMC and Nigeria Digital ID4D, a project co-funded by the World Bank, European Investment Bank, and French Development Agency, to increase the number of Nigerians with a National Identification Number (NIN).

Rising from a 1-day Roundtable for Desk Officers of Ecosystem Implementing partners of the Nigeria Digital ID4D project, held at Peniel Apartments, Abuja, the stakeholders described the project as timely, reiterating their willingness to participate in its implementation.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, Musa Odole Solomon, Project Coordinator, Nigeria Digital ID4D project, congratulated the desk officers on their nomination by their respective public institutions, reiterating the project’s commitment to working with them.

“Let me start by congratulating you on your nomination as desk officers for the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project. It is a show of the level of confidence the leadership of your respective organisations has in you.”

“This meeting is aimed at explaining the essence of the Nigeria Digital ID4D project, its components, objectives, strategy and expected results, while discussing the roles of the desk officers in the project implementation, among other objectives.”

“The idea of desk officers was to ensure a single point of contact with each of the ecosystem implementing partners, to ensure that our partners do not miss out on any important step in the project implementation.”

“The project is designed, following an ecosystem model, and not limited to any single organisation. It therefore involves different agencies of the government, the private sector and civil society. As desk officers, you are here today because you represent organisations already identified as important ecosystem implementing partners. Our goal is to ensure that no strategic stakeholder is left behind, in this endeavour.”

Also speaking at the event, Engr. Aliyu Aziz, the Director General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission, commended the Nigeria Digital ID4D project for its intervention and support.

The NIMC Chief Executive, represented by Ibrahim Abdullahi, the Director, Corporate Services of the Commission, informed the stakeholders that the national database has hit about Ninety-Three (93) million National Identity Number (NIN) enrolments.

“The unified ID system approach, as well as the ecosystem model have had tremendous positive impacts on the enrollment figure. Currently, the National Identity Database has over 90 million (93.5m) records, which is a sharp contrast from just 7 million, when I assumed office in 2015.” he said.

He noted that “the primary aim of the strategic roadmap for digital identification in Nigeria, is to simplify the approach to identification through simple data collection process and a centralized unique identification system for Nigeria and legal residents.”

In his presentation on “Duties of Desk Officers in Nigeria Digital ID4D project Implementation,” the project’s Communications Manager, Dr. Walter Duru described the desk officers as the bridge between their respective public institutions and the project, urging them to take their roles seriously.

Also, in his presentation on “Understanding the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project,” Monitoring and Evaluation Specialist for the Project Implementation Unit, Dr. Emmanuel Akogun, highlighted the project development objective to the desk officers, even as he urged them to support the project to succeed.

The project’s Change Manager, Ibrahim Salifu, Data and Integration Architect, Sheriff Balogun, Social Safeguards Officer, Seun Adebayo, Grievance Redress Manager, Atana Okon, Legal Desk Officer, Adetunrayo Alao and Stakeholders Engagement Manager, Helen Nkemakolam-Ekeh, took turns to explain the activities of their respective work streams, while seeking the collaboration of the desk officers.

Director, Database at NIMC, Olufemi Fabunmi, while responding to questions from the desk officers said “NIMC will increase its server capacity to 250million from 100 million after a service upgrade.

Highlights of the event were: paper presentations, remarks, interactive session, questions and answers sessions and agreement on next steps.

The Nigeria Digital ID4D is a project, jointly funded by the World Bank, European Investment Bank, and the French Development Agency.

The Project Development Objective is to increase the number of persons with a National Identity Number (NIN), issued by a robust and inclusive foundational Identity system, that facilitates their access to services.