NIMC Adds 7 Million Enrollments in First Half of 2025

The National Identification Management System (NIMC) has released the June 2025 National Identification Number (NIN) enrollment figures, revealing a total of 121,404,601 enrollments. This figure represents a significant addition of 7 million in the first half of the year, demonstrating NIMC’s commitment to its goal of registering 85% of the Nigerian population by December 2025. However, the commission still needs to enroll 67 million more Nigerians, as the country’s total population is currently estimated at over 220 million.

NIMC has promised that 100 million Nigerians will be captured by December. Its successful addition of over 79,000 inmates and plan to deploy corps members into rural areas show what is possible. However, an analysis of the enrollment figures across the states reveals a significant trend that is crucial to future adoption. Data shows that 10 states (Lagos, Kano, Kaduna, Ogun, Oyo, Katsina, Abuja, Rivers, Delta, and Jigawa) account for 59 million enrollments, representing 48.62% of the total. The top 5 states account for an accumulated 40.8 million (33.64%).

Lagos State leads with almost 13 million NIN enrollment, translating to 10.60% of the total. Kano State follows closely with 11 million (9.13%). Kaduna State is third with 7 million (5.9%). Ogun State follows with 5 million enrollments (4.1%). And, Oyo State crowns the top 5 with 4.6 million (3.8%). Interestingly, Lagos State has maintained the top spot since the commencement of the NIN registration exercise alongside Kano State. A major shift in the top five saw Kaduna State displace Ogun, occupying the third position.

At the other end of the spectrum, the states with the lowest enrollment have only accumulated 16.2 million in total, representing 13.35%. Bayelsa state is the least, with 791,563 enrollment as of June 2025, representing 0.67% of the nationwide figure. Ebonyi state followed with 1.01 million (0.83%), Ekiti state with 1.1 million (0.96%), Cross-River state with 1.4 million (1.16%), and Taraba state with 1.8 million enrollments (1.52%).

While there have been prevailing concerns about states that gathered the least NIN enrollment numbers, a look at the population of the top 10 and the lowest 10 states presents a different story. A percentage of population comparison of enrollees reveals that some states in the least 10 states have a higher enrollment performance than states in the top 10. For instance, 57.77% of Kwara State’s population is enrolled, surpassing 39.98% of Katsina State’s population. Similarly, Rivers State boasts of a 48.41% coverage while Jigawa has 42.26%. And, other states in the bottom 10 category, such as Kogi (43.21%), Enugu (42.48%), Yobe (52.74%), and Taraba (51%) have performed better than Katsina State (39.98%).

This shows that the enrollment numbers do not necessarily tell the entire story. Indeed, states like Lagos and Kano, with over 10 million population, have the prerequisite for having more NIN enrollees than Bayelsa and Ekiti, which have about 3 million denizens each. The low NIN enrollment in states can stem from a variety of factors. These include limited awareness and sensitisation campaigns, and logistical challenges. Another crucial factor is access to enrollment centres, especially in rural and poor communities. Areas where such centres exist face intractable issues of network connectivity, causing delays to authentication and verification.

A report noted that some states lack enough enrollment machines and personnel to handle the volume of people seeking NIN registration. There are also reported issues of delays in card issuance and complex requirements, which contribute to low enrollment rates. While the NIN registration is free by NIMC, there have been reports of extortion and unethical practices during enrollment. Some Nigerians have reported on social media that they paid fees ranging from N1,000 to N5,000. These have eroded public trust and discouraged participation. There is also the perennial problem of apathy and ignorance of the populace. Recall that NIMC reportedly closed down centres across eight local government areas in Bayelsa State owing to poor participation.

However, the NIMC has been intensifying efforts to meet its 2025 target. The commission’s Director-General, Coker-Odusote, revealed that 100 million more Nigerians would be captured by December, and they are working to meet the target. While a mandatory NIN enrollment system was launched in September 2015, the agency fell short of its 180 million enrollment target by June 2024. Consequently, the deadline was extended to December 2026. The commission has also partnered with the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to train selected Youth Corps members to reach local areas. Similarly, the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS), with approval from the NIMC, has registered 59,786 inmates (74% of the country’s total inmate population of 80,879) in an ongoing exercise across correctional centres nationwide. The NIMC boss also explained that the agency is open to working with more partners across every ward and nationwide.