Nigeria’s National Identity Database Reaches 97.49 Million Enrolments in March 2023
Key Highlights:
NIN Enrolments in Nigeria Reach 97.49 Million in March 2023
- The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) announced that 1 million new enrolments were recorded in March, bringing the total figure to 97.49 million.
Lagos Continues to Lead in Enrolments
- Lagos State has the highest number of enrolments in the country, with 10.7 million Nigerians captured in the state.
Majority of Enrollees are Male
- 55.2 million Nigerians, representing 56.6% of those captured in the NIN database, are male.
Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) reports that the national identity database has captured 97.49 million Nigerians as of March 24, 2023. The database has added one million new enrolments in the past month, with a total figure of 96.5 million as of February 22, 2023.
Top States for Enrolments
Lagos State leads with the highest number of enrolments, with 10.7 million Nigerians captured in the state. Kano State follows with 8.5 million registered NIN, and Kaduna with 5.9 million.
Gender Distribution
- Gender distribution of NIN enrollees shows that 56.6% or 55.2 million are male.
- 43.4% or 42.26 million of NIN enrollees are female.
- These figures were reported by the NIMC.
- The data represents the total number of Nigerians captured in the NIN database.
- The gender disparity in enrolment raises questions on the participation of women.
- The government may need to take measures to encourage more women to enrol in the program.
- A balanced enrolment rate is necessary for the effectiveness of the NIN as a national identity system.
Top and Bottom States
Other states with high enrolment numbers include Ogun, Oyo, FCT, Katsina, Rivers, Bauchi, and Delta.
Ogun has 4 million enrollees, Oyo has 3.8 million, and FCT has 3.3 million.
Katsina, Rivers, Bauchi, and Delta all have 2.6-2.9 million enrollees.
The 10 states with the lowest NIN enrolments are Akwa-Ibom, Imo, Enugu, Yobe, Taraba, Cross River, Ekiti, Ebonyi, and Bayelsa.
Akwa-Ibom has 1.66 million enrollees, Imo has 1.63 million, and Enugu has 1.56 million.
Yobe has 1.48 million enrollees, Taraba has 1.42 million, and Cross River has 1.1 million.
Ekiti has 994,219 enrollees, Ebonyi has 779,899, and Bayelsa has 617,398.
Diaspora enrolments stood at 387,089.
Lagos, Kano, and Kaduna continue to lead in NIN enrolments.
Lagos has 10.7 million enrollees, Kano has 8.5 million, and Kaduna has 5.9 million.
Back Story
In December 2020, the Nigerian government mandated all mobile subscribers to link their SIM with NIN.
This policy has led to a surge in NIN enrolments across the country.
To cope with the demand for enrolment, the government licensed several companies, including telecom operators, to act as enrolment agents.
The move helped to address the infrastructure limitations of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
In April 2023, the government further enforced the policy by mandating telecom operators to bar outgoing calls from lines not linked to NIN.
The move affected around 75 million lines, and many subscribers were forced to enroll for the NIN to have their lines restored for communication.
The NIMC has faced numerous challenges, including poor infrastructure, inadequate funding, and a shortage of personnel, which have affected the enrolment process