Nigeria’s electoral commission has extended the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise by two weeks, giving eligible citizens until July 24 to register ahead of future elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced the extension on Friday, saying the decision followed feedback from its state offices, political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.

The nationwide registration exercise, which began on August 18, 2025, had been scheduled to end on July 10.

In a statement, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, said the extension was intended to ensure that more eligible Nigerians were captured in the national voters’ register.

“In order to provide additional opportunity for eligible citizens who are yet to register, the Commission has extended the exercise to Friday, 24th July 2026,” Haruna said.

“The extension underscores the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that every eligible Nigerian has a fair and reasonable opportunity to be included in the Register of Voters ahead of future electoral activities.”

The commission also announced the introduction of an online self-service registration platform for first-time voters as part of efforts to improve access to the registration process.

According to INEC, the new service will become available on July 8 through its dedicated CVR portal, allowing eligible citizens to initiate and complete their voter registration, including biometric capture, using their personal devices without first visiting an INEC office.

The commission said the platform incorporates identity verification, biometric validation and other integrity checks to safeguard the credibility and accuracy of the national voters’ register.

INEC said the initiative forms part of its broader effort to improve service delivery through technology while maintaining the integrity of the electoral process.

The commission urged Nigerians who are eligible to vote but have not yet registered to take advantage of both the extension and the new online registration option before the revised deadline.