Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has recorded a significant milestone in its digital identity drive, with 123.9 million unique National Identification Number (NIN) enrolments as of October 31, 2025. The figures underscore steady progress in expanding Nigeria’s foundational digital identity system, while also highlighting persistent structural and regional gaps that continue to slow progress toward universal coverage.
With Nigeria’s population estimated at over 220 million, the current enrolment level suggests that just over half of the population has been captured in the national identity database. While NIMC has not publicly restated a numerical annual target, the overarching policy objective remains near-universal enrolment, particularly given the central role of NIN in telecommunications, banking, public services, and social protection programmes. Against this implicit target, the October 2025 figures reflect strong momentum, but incomplete penetration.
A closer look at the data shows Lagos State leading enrolment nationally, with over 13.1 million registered individuals, the highest cumulative figure in the country. This is followed by Kano (11.6 million) and Kaduna (7.3 million), reflecting the influence of population size, urbanisation, economic activity, and access to enrolment centres. The Federal Capital Territory (FCT) also stands out, recording over 4 million enrolments, despite its relatively smaller population base, pointing to higher enrolment efficiency.
Regionally, enrolment figures indicate an almost even split between the North and South, countering earlier concerns that the NIN drive was disproportionately urban- or southern-centric. This balance suggests that recent policy measures—such as expanded enrolment centres, mobile registration units, and private sector participation—are gradually improving geographic reach.
Gender distribution data reveals a notable imbalance, with 69.7 million male enrolments compared to 54.2 million female enrolments. This gap of over 15 million registrations raises important inclusion questions, particularly around access barriers faced by women in rural areas, documentation challenges, and socio-cultural constraints. Closing this gender gap will be critical if NIN is to function as a truly inclusive national identity system.
The data also highlights stark disparities at the sub-national level. While states like Ogun, Oyo, Rivers, Delta, and Bauchi have crossed the 3–5 million enrolment mark, several states remain significantly behind. Bayelsa, Ebonyi, and Ekiti occupy the bottom of the table, each recording fewer than 1.2 million enrolments, reflecting lower population density, logistical challenges, and limited enrolment infrastructure.
Diaspora enrolment, at 1.54 million, shows growing uptake among Nigerians abroad, but still represents a small fraction of total registrations. This suggests further opportunities for scaling diaspora-focused enrolment initiatives, particularly given the importance of NIN for passport services and consular access.
Overall, the October 2025 figures point to solid operational progress, but also underline the scale of work still required. To meet its broader national objectives, NIMC will need to accelerate enrolment in low-performing states, address gender disparities, and sustain momentum beyond policy-driven surges linked to SIM, banking, or public service mandates.
As Nigeria deepens its digital economy ambitions, the success of the NIN programme will increasingly be judged not just by headline numbers, but by how close it comes to universal, inclusive coverage—the true benchmark for a functional national identity system.
