THE Federal Government on Tuesday announced a major leap in Nigeria’s digital identity revolution, revealing that over 126 million Nigerians have now been enrolled in the National Identity Database, with system capacity expanded to accommodate 250 million records.
News Point Nigeria reports that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, represented by the Secretary to the Government of the Federation (SGF), Senator George Akume, disclosed this during the 2025 National Day of Identity Celebration organised by the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) in Abuja.
The event, themed “Public Key Infrastructure: Backbone to Digital Public Infrastructure,” brought together key policymakers, lawmakers, regulators, and private sector players to assess Nigeria’s progress in building a robust digital identity ecosystem.
Speaking at the ceremony, President Tinubu described the achievement as a landmark in the country’s quest for financial inclusion, digital security, and governance reform.
“This is not just a number; it represents 126 million stories of visibility and empowerment,” Tinubu said.
“Workers can now claim pensions without fear of fraud, students can access loans with ease, and vulnerable groups can benefit from humanitarian support. This is the true power of identity — and this is the progress we celebrate.”
The President noted that the expansion was designed to ensure that no Nigerian is excluded from the benefits of a trusted identity system.
He said special efforts were made to register refugees, internally displaced persons (IDPs), inmates of correctional facilities, and Nigerians in the diaspora, with over 200 registration centres established abroad.
Tinubu disclosed that NIMC had successfully cleared 2.5 million backlog records and rolled out mobile and web self-service platforms, which processed more than 500,000 updates in the past year.
In addition, over 800 mobile enrolment devices were deployed across the country to boost rural coverage.
“This is a story of inclusion. We have trained more than 5,000 enrolment agents to provide disability-friendly services, ensuring that persons with disabilities are not left behind,” the President added.
Tinubu said this harmonisation has saved government costs, reduced duplication, and improved service delivery while strengthening national security.
In her address, NIMC Director-General/CEO, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, highlighted the economic impact of digital identity.
She disclosed that since May 2024, over 449,000 students have accessed loans worth ₦86.35 billion through NIN verification under the Nigeria Education Loan Fund (NELFUND) scheme.
In agriculture, the NIN was used to verify beneficiaries for the distribution of 30,000 metric tonnes of subsidised rice, ensuring that only genuine farmers and households benefited.
Minister of Interior, Dr. Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, stressed that Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) is vital for building a secure and interoperable digital economy.
“Countries that build secure Digital Public Infrastructure increase inclusion, lower transaction costs, and attract investment. PKI is the difference between digital convenience and digital risk,” he said.
He also pointed to recent reforms such as the commissioning of the Bola Ahmed Tinubu Technology Innovation Complex (BATTIC), which now houses a modern command-and-control centre, a biometric production facility, and a state-of-the-art data centre.