President Directs Commission to Complete Nationwide Enrolment Before End of 2026
President Bola Tinubu has directed the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to ensure that every Nigerian is enrolled in the national identity database before the end of 2026 as part of the Federal Government’s drive to strengthen digital governance, improve national planning and enhance public service delivery.
The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, disclosed the directive during an interview on Channels Television’s Politics Today, saying the commission has been given a clear mandate to capture all Nigerians within the stipulated timeline.
According to her, the nationwide enrolment exercise is being accelerated through partnerships with accredited private enrolment agents under the World Bank-supported Identification for Development (ID4D) project to extend registration services to communities across the country.
Coker-Odusote said the National Identification Number (NIN) remains Nigeria’s unique identity credential, noting that the biometric-based system prevents multiple registrations by assigning only one identity to each individual.
She explained that the exercise will also help government determine Nigeria’s actual population, saying accurate identity data is essential for effective planning and service delivery.
The NIMC boss added that the commission’s upgraded biometric verification system now detects duplicate enrolment attempts instantly through fingerprint and facial recognition technology, making multiple registrations virtually impossible.
She also disclosed that the newly enacted National Identity Management Commission Act 2026 strengthens NIMC’s role as the sole custodian of biometric identity data in Nigeria.
According to her, public and private institutions will verify identities through secure Application Programming Interface (API) integration with the NIMC database instead of maintaining separate biometric databases.
Coker-Odusote cited the telecommunications sector as an example, noting that telecom operators already validate subscribers’ facial biometrics against the NIMC database before issuing SIM cards.
President Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission Act 2026 into law on June 26, reinforcing the Federal Government’s “One Person, One Identity” policy and making the National Identification Number the primary identity credential for accessing key government and private sector services.
— IBN News
