The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced that it will commence nationwide ward-level enrollment for the National Identification Number (NIN) on February 16, 2026.
The Commission disclosed this in a statement signed by its Head of Communications, Kayode Adegoke, which was released on Wednesday.
According to NIMC, the move follows a presidential directive mandating it to take NIN registration to the grassroots across the country.
The exercise is aimed at ensuring the comprehensive registration of every Nigerian citizen and legal resident, including children and adults, into the National Identity Database.
What NIMC is saying
NIMC said the ward-level enrollment will be conducted free of charge, adding that the initiative aligns with the Federal Government’s drive to deepen identity inclusion, promote inclusive governance, and expand access to public services.
- “The ward-level enrolment initiative represents a strategic step towards deepening identity inclusion, decentralizing services, and bringing registration to the ward level (communities), thereby improving accessibility, reducing travel burden, and promoting nationwide participation.
- “NIMC encourages all Nigerians and legal residents who are yet to enroll to take advantage of this opportunity and participate fully in the exercise,” the statement read in part.
NIMC disclosed that it has commenced consultations and sensitization campaigns at the national, state and local government levels to ensure a smooth rollout.
It said state governments, local government chairpersons, traditional rulers, community leaders, market associations and faith-based organisations are being engaged to support awareness and mobilization efforts.
The Commission called on members of the public to participate actively in the ward-to-ward exercise and ensure that children, parents and other family members who are yet to enroll are registered within their communities.
Backstory
Nigeria, through the World Bank’s Digital Identity for National Development (ID4D) project, launched in 2020, is currently striving to register all its citizens in the NIN database.
- In 2024, the country missed the deadline set by the World Bank to capture at least 148 million Nigerians by June 30. This led to the extension and restructuring of the project by the World Bank
- According to the Bank, the extension was necessary to guarantee the complete disbursement of the $430 million pledged for the project by the financiers.
- The project is being co-financed by the French Development Agency (AFD), and the European Investment Bank (EIB).
With the restructuring of the project, the Bank said the closure has now been extended by two years to December 31, 2026.
What you should know
While the country’s population is estimated at 230 million, the latest enrollment figure released by NIMC shows that 123.9 million Nigerians had been issued NIN as of October 2025.
At the end of 2024, the enrolment figure stood at 114 million. This indicates that 9.9 million new NINs were issued in the first 10 months of 2025.
Going by the target of the ID4D project, NIMC is expected to have issued NIN to 180 million Nigerians by the end of 2026.
