By Daniel Oluwatobiloba Popoola
The Federal Government is targeting 95 per cent National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment coverage by December 2026 as it moves to strengthen digital identity infrastructure and drive economic growth.
President Bola Ahmed Tinubu disclosed this on Wednesday, 16 September, 2026 in Abuja at the 8th National Identity Day celebration, where he was represented by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Tinubu said the government was building the digital infrastructure needed to integrate Nigeria’s identity system with 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.
He said the government was developing an ecosystem in which trusted digital identity would support digital commerce, financial services, social protection, healthcare, education and mobility.
The President also disclosed that the government was accelerating the development of a Sovereign Public Key Infrastructure (PKI) as a trust layer within its broader Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) architecture.
According to him, the system would support secure digital signatures, trusted electronic documents, encrypted transactions and government communications, while enabling businesses to transact digitally with greater confidence.
Tinubu said it would also allow government documents to be authenticated without cumbersome physical processes.
He reaffirmed his administration’s commitment to a robust DPI to improve access to public services, particularly healthcare, education and financial inclusion.
The President commended the Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Dr Abisoye Coker-Odusote, for her leadership.
The Minister of Interior, Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo, described identity management as central to economic growth, national security and social inclusion.
Tunji-Ojo said Tinubu’s assent to the NIMC Act 2026 had strengthened the legal framework for digital identity management and the country’s digital economy.
He said reliable population data was essential for planning and delivering public services, including education, healthcare and social interventions.
The Minister urged NIMC to expand NIN enrolment for Nigerians in the diaspora and accelerate the development of trusted PKI and DPI systems for secure authentication.
He also urged Nigerians to enrol for NIN and protect their identity credentials, saying, “Your identity is your digital footprint.”
The Minister of Education, Dr Tunji Alausa, said trusted identity management was increasingly important to education planning and access.
Alausa said the ministry was deploying NIN through the Nigeria Education Sector Renewal Initiative (NESRI), using the identification number to clean up the education database of more than 75 million students from basic to tertiary levels.
He said NIN had become mandatory for JAMB registration and other examinations to curb malpractice, eliminate multiple identities and improve student records.
According to him, integration with NIMC had enabled more than 800,000 students to access financing through the Nigerian Education Loan Fund (NELFUND).
Alausa also commended NIMC for extending enrolment to 8,809 wards, saying the initiative would improve access to registration for school-age children.
Earlier, Coker-Odusote said the national identity database had grown from about 80 million NINs at the beginning of the current administration to nearly 140 million, with the infrastructure capable of accommodating 250 million records.
She said NIMC launched the Ward-Level Enrolment Drive in February 2026, taking free NIN registration to all 8,809 wards.
More than 5,000 enrolment agents, she said, had been trained to improve access for persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
Coker-Odusote said NIMC unveiled the NINAuth application on October 30, 2025, describing it as a consent-based, citizen-controlled authentication service.
She also said the commission had relaunched the General Multipurpose Card (GMPC) for identity verification, financial transactions and direct government-to-people services.
The NIMC DG said the NIMC Act 2026 had strengthened data protection, expanded mandatory NIN use and increased penalties for identity-related offences.
She said more than 173 private companies, 30 state governments and 14 public institutions had been licensed as NIN enrolment partners.
According to her, NIN has served as the Tax ID for individuals since January 1, 2026, while more than 800,000 students had accessed education financing through NELFUND following integration with the identity system.
Coker-Odusote further said integration with the Nigeria Police Force, Nigeria Immigration Service, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC), Nigeria Revenue Service and National Population Commission was strengthening national security and service delivery.
The event was attended by the ministers of Interior, Education, and Communications, Innovation and Digital Economy.
