Nigeria closes in on 100M digital IDs issued as enrollment pace declines

Nigeria is approaching 100 million national biometric digital IDs issues, reaching 98.7 million National Identity Numbers (NINs) by April 28, according to the National identity Management Commission (NIMC).

NIMC previously announced that 95.5 million people had NINs as of January 22.

The pace of enrollments appears to be dropping, however. New sign-ups declined by just over 41 percent on a year-over-year over the first 4 months of 2023. Eight million Nigerians signed up for NINs from January to April of 2022, compared to 4.67 million this year, Punch reports.

The report quotes the government’s National Development Plan 2021-2025, which calls for NIMC 2.5 million biometric enrollments per month, well ahead of the 1.17 million a month pace it is on so far this year.

The report also notes that VerifyMe Nigeria has estimated that digital identity will add about 7 percent to Nigeria’s GDP by 2030.

The distribution of NIN issuances is nearly even between the country’s north and south, and women make up just over 43 percent of enrolees, according to The Guardian Nigeria.

NIMC began charging for digital ID verification in the passport application process on April 1, through a deal with the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS).

A Senate Committee on Interior has been directed to investigate the delayed issuance and renewal of Nigerian passports by NIS, This Day Live reports.

Appointments for biometrics capture at passport offices are now being booked five to eight weeks in advance, Senator Lilian Uche Ekwunife says. Once their biometrics are collected, however, applicants must often wait for four months for their passport to be issued.

Article Topics

biometrics  |  digital ID  |  national ID  |  National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)  |  National Identity Number (NIN)  |  Nigeria