NIMC enrolls 206,000 refugees and IDPs, plus 32,000 inmates

By Juliet Umeh, ABUJA

Engr. Abisoye Coker‑Odusote, Director‑General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), announced that the commission has added more than 206,000 refugees and internally displaced persons (IDPs) and over 32,000 inmates to Nigeria’s national identity database, a move aimed at ensuring comprehensive digital identity coverage across the country.

Speaking at a presentation during ID4Africa 2026, Coker‑Odusote said the commission is working toward a target of 180 million enrolments by December 2026 as Nigeria expands its digital identity ecosystem.

He recalled that “Nigeria’s national identity journey began in 1977 under the military administration, but the establishment of NIMC through Act No. 23 of 2007 provided the legal and institutional framework for a centralised and secure national identity database.”

Coker‑Odusote added that the identity sector has evolved from “a fragmented, enrollment‑focused model into a dynamic Digital Public Ecosystem designed to support governance, financial inclusion, national security, and efficient service delivery.”

On the topic of inclusion, he stated: “Over 206,000 refugees and internally displaced persons, as well as over 32,000 inmates, have been enrolled into the national identity database to ensure that no one is left behind.”

“Our journey has moved from isolated databases and manual processes to an integrated ecosystem that enables interoperability, identity verification, and real‑time authentication across sectors,” he added.

Highlighting milestones achieved between 2007 and 2023, Coker‑Odusote noted that the commission established the National Identity Database, introduced the NIN Mobile App, deployed the Person Identification Verification Service (PIVS), and enforced the NIN‑SIM linkage policy.

He explained that “the NIN‑SIM linkage policy became one of the biggest drivers of digital identity adoption in the telecommunications sector, significantly accelerating enrollment growth and strengthening identity verification nationwide.”

The commission reported that Nigeria had reached 127 million unique identity records by December 2025.

“We deployed over 800 new mobile enrollment devices nationwide to support rapid enrollment expansion and deepen access, especially in underserved communities,” he said.

He further stated that the country processes about 3.3 million verification requests daily while maintaining an average of five million new enrollments monthly.

“We successfully cleared about 2.5 million manual adjudication records, unlocking delayed identities and improving the integrity of the database,” he added.

Regarding integration efforts, Coker‑Odusote said the NIN has now been connected to major national institutions and programmes.

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