Tinubu Gives NIMC December Deadline to Register Every Nigerian

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 had been given a clear mandate by the President to capture all Nigerians within the stipulated timeline.

According to her, the nationwide enrolment exercise is being accelerated through partnerships with private enrolment agents under the World Bank-supported Identification for Development (ID4D) project, aimed at extending registration services to communities across the country.

“The President has given us till the end of this year to make sure that we capture every single Nigerian,” Coker-Odusote said, explaining that accredited private partners have been integrated into the digital identity ecosystem to support NIMC in enrolling citizens nationwide.

She noted that the National Identification Number (NIN) remains the country’s unique identity credential, stressing that the biometric-based system prevents multiple registrations by ensuring that every individual is assigned only one identity.

The NIMC boss explained that the enrolment exercise would also enable the government to establish Nigeria’s actual population, noting that current estimates vary between 200 million and 250 million people.

“Your identity is the foundation for effective governance and service delivery. It is difficult to plan properly when you do not know the exact number of people you are planning for. We have been mandated by Mr. President to reach every community and enrol every Nigerian,” she stated.

Addressing concerns over duplicate registrations, Coker-Odusote said the commission’s upgraded biometric verification system now detects duplicate attempts instantly using fingerprints and facial recognition technology, making it virtually impossible for an individual to obtain multiple identities.

She explained that unlike the previous system, where duplicate records were detected only after submission, the new platform verifies applicants at the point of enrolment and automatically invalidates repeated registrations.

The NIMC chief further disclosed that the new National Identity Management Commission Act 2026 has strengthened the commission’s role as the sole custodian of biometric identity data in Nigeria.

According to her, public and private institutions will no longer maintain independent biometric databases but will instead verify identities through Application Programming Interface (API) integration with NIMC.

She cited the telecommunications sector as an example, noting that telecom operators already validate subscribers’ facial biometrics against the NIMC database in real time before issuing SIM cards.

The directive follows President Tinubu’s signing of the National Identity Management Commission Act 2026 into law on June 26, replacing the 2007 legislation.

The new law reinforces the Federal Government’s “One Person, One Identity” policy by making the National Identification Number the primary identity credential for accessing government services and essential private sector transactions, including banking services, passport applications, tax administration, pensions, land transactions and consumer credit.