President Bola Tinubu has directed the Federal Government to enrol 95 per cent of National Identification Numbers (NIN) by December 2026.
The President issued the directive on Wednesday in Abuja during the eighth National Identity Day commemoration.
Speaking through his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila, Tinubu said the Federal Government was developing the digital infrastructure needed to leverage Nigeria’s identification system for economic growth.
He said the theme of the celebration highlighted the importance of connecting Nigeria’s digital ecosystem to its digital economy and broader economic development.
“Nigeria’s digital ecosystem must power Nigeria’s digital economy, and Nigeria’s digital economy must help power Africa’s economy. Our identity infrastructure will be a critical component of this ambition,” he said.
The President said the government planned to create a system that would enable citizens to use a secure digital ID for online transactions, banking, welfare payments, healthcare, education and transportation services.
He added that the government was accelerating the development of a secure national system to protect transactions, digital signatures and online documents.
According to him, the system would enable secure online document signing, verification of authentic government documents, and protection of government communications and online payments.
Backstory…
President Bola Tinubu had previously ordered the National Identity Management Commission(NIMC) to register all Nigerians in the national identity database by the end of 2026, according to the commission’s Director-General and Chief Executive Officer, Abisoye Coker-Odusote.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, Coker-Odusote explained that this mandate is part of the Federal Government’s vision to build a comprehensive national identification system aimed at improving planning, governance, and public service delivery.
She said, “The President has given us till the end of this year to make sure that we capture every single Nigerian”
Since the introduction of the National Identification Number (NIN), authorities have repeatedly extended registration deadlines while linking the identity number to essential services such as SIM card registration, passport applications, banking, tax administration and social intervention programmes.
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