Over 142 million Nigerians and legal residents have been issued the National Identification Numbers (NINs) and subsequently captured in the country’s national database by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).

This was revealed yesterday in Abuja by the Director General, NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, during an identity ecosystem event centred on the theme: “Nigeria’s Digital Public Ecosystem: Powering Africa’s Digital Economy,” organised to mark this year’s National Day of Identity 2026.

Coker-Odusote disclosed that enrolment had risen from 100 million to over 142 million, driven largely by the Presidential Board-to-Board Enrolment Project.

She said the initiative took NIMC officers to communities across the country, while National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members were mobilised as enrolment officers without registration centres.

She said NIMC introduced a self-service platform that allows Nigerians to update their identity without visiting a NIMC office.

According to her, the platform has processed about two million record updates.

Ajayi-Coker said the commission had also expanded identity enrolment services outside Nigeria, reaching nearly 1000 locations across about 100 countries through partnerships with international organisations and other stakeholders.

She disclosed that NIMC’s collaboration with the telecommunications sector had strengthened NIN-SIM linkage, helping to reduce the use of anonymous mobile lines.

On his part, the Secretary to the Federal Government, George Akume, noted that NIMC’s progress was important to Nigeria’s digital economy.

Akume said the commission has made progress in integrating identity services with banking, telecommunications and social protection systems.

He said digital identity could also support cross-border trade and digital transactions as African economies increasingly adopt digital services.