Diaspora NIN Registrations Rise by 58% – NIMC
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Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has reported a significant rise in National Identification Number registrations among Nigerians living abroad, recording a 58 percent increase within eight months.
According to the commission, diaspora enrolments climbed from about 948,000 in June 2025 to more than 1.5 million by February 2026. Officials attribute the surge to reforms aimed at simplifying the registration process for Nigerians outside the country.
A media adviser to the Director-General, Ayodele Babalola, said the improvement followed several operational changes, including the expansion of licensed partner centres abroad, the introduction of digital pre-enrolment systems, and stricter service delivery standards at overseas registration points.
The diaspora enrolment initiative, launched in 2019, allows Nigerians living abroad to obtain their NIN without travelling back to the country. Biometric data are captured through authorised registration centres operated by Nigerian companies in partnership with accredited organisations across Africa, Europe, North America, and parts of Asia.
The rise in overseas registrations has contributed to overall growth in Nigeria’s national identity database. NIMC said total NIN enrolments surpassed 129 million as of February 2026.
Director-General of the commission, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, noted that when she assumed office in 2023, the country had recorded about 90 million NIN registrations. Since then, more than 33 million additional Nigerians have been enrolled into the system.
The commission also disclosed that improvements in registration infrastructure have helped reduce waiting times. Over 800 mobile registration devices have been deployed nationwide to speed up enrolment and improve access to identity services.
NIMC explained that the growing importance of the NIN in accessing essential services is driving the increase in registrations among Nigerians abroad. The identification number is now required for services such as bank account operations, SIM card registration, passport processing, student loan applications, and government welfare programmes.
Through systems linked to the NIN, the government has also expanded access to social programmes. For instance, the Nigerian Education Loan Fund has provided loans to hundreds of thousands of students using NIN-based verification, while agricultural support programmes have used the identity database to improve transparency in subsidy distribution.
Officials said the commission continues to develop digital tools that make identity services more accessible. These include online pre-registration, identity verification platforms, and self-service portals that allow individuals to update personal details.
NIMC stated that its long-term objective is to achieve 95 percent identity coverage among Nigerians, with diaspora enrolment playing a key role in ensuring citizens abroad are fully integrated into the national identity system.
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