The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has announced that enrolment on Nigeria’s national identity database has surpassed 142 million, as the federal government expands the country’s digital identity infrastructure.
NIMC disclosed this on Wednesday, as Nigeria marked the 2026 National Day of Identity, saying the capacity of the national identity database had also been increased to 250 million records.
The latest enrolment figure covers Nigerians and legal residents registered in the national identity system and represents a significant increase from the less than 100 million enrolments previously recorded.
The development comes as the government continues to position the National Identification Number (NIN) as a key component of Nigeria’s digital public infrastructure, with NIN-based identity verification increasingly required for access to government and private-sector services.
According to the NIMC, the expansion of the database is part of a wider technology upgrade aimed at handling the growing volume of identity records and authentication requests from government agencies, financial institutions, telecommunications companies and other service providers.
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The commission said it has begun replacing ageing technology equipment, deploying modern data-centre infrastructure and high-availability servers, and expanding secure connectivity to its offices across the country.
NIMC said the upgrades were designed to improve the reliability, scalability and security of the national identity system as more Nigerians and legal residents are brought into the formal digital identity ecosystem.
The commission attributed part of the increase in enrolment to its presidential board-to-board enrolment project, which takes registration services directly to communities.
It also said National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members have been deployed as enrolment officers in areas where conventional registration centres were limited.
The initiative, according to the commission, has helped extend registration services to underserved communities.
Also, the NIMC said it is simultaneously strengthening measures to improve the quality and security of identity information in the national database.
The commission said it is deploying artificial intelligence tools to identify duplicate and synthetic identities while working with security agencies to tackle identity-related fraud.
It further disclosed that its self-service platform has processed nearly two million identity-record updates, reducing the need for citizens to visit physical NIMC offices for some modifications.
NIMC said it has further expanded its international enrolment network, with services now available at nearly 1,000 locations across about 100 countries through partnerships with relevant organisations and stakeholders.
The commission said the overseas expansion would improve access to NIN services for Nigerians in the diaspora while contributing to a more comprehensive national identity database.
The expansion of the identity system is also backed by a new legal framework.
President Bola Tinubu signed the National Identity Management Commission Act, 2026, into law on June 23, replacing the NIMC Act of 2007.
The new law gives NIMC an expanded regulatory role within Nigeria’s national identity ecosystem and designates the commission as the Root Certification Authority for the country’s Public Key Infrastructure.
It also places NIMC at the centre of the development of Digital Public Infrastructure, expanding its role in secure authentication and electronic trust services.
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