Nigeria needs 62.5 million more NINs in six months to hit World Bank deadline
NIMC now has 117.5 million people with National Identification Numbers (NINs), but the latest World Bank assessment suggests the harder part may be turning that scale into a system that is accurate, trusted and useful.
Nigeria is on track to issue 62.5 million more National Identification Numbers (NINs) within six months to meet a deadline set by the World Bank. Currently, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has issued NINs to 117.5 million people out of 134.6 million enrolments. The World Bank has set a target of 180 million NINs by December 2026, leaving Nigeria with a shortfall of 62.5 million.
To achieve this target, NIMC would need to enroll approximately 7.4 million people per month, four times its current rate of 1.5 to 1.8 million enrolments per month. While the target is ambitious, it is considered necessary considering Nigeria's large population and the significance of a foundational identity system. However, the focus should be on the quality of the system rather than just reaching the target number, as errors, duplication, weak verification, or security failures can have significant consequences as the system expands.
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