The Director-General and Chief Executive Officer of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, has reaffirmed the agency’s commitment to supporting national development through accurate data capture of Nigerians and legal residents, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
Speaking during an interview at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Engr. Coker-Odusote emphasized NIMC’s ambitious plan to register at least 95% of Nigeria’s population—estimated at over 220 million—into the National Identity Database by December 2025.
To meet this target, she said the commission has rolled out a series of reforms, including the introduction of pre-enrollment modalities and the decentralization of enrollment operations to the ward level nationwide.
“Our goal is to ensure that every Nigerian and legal resident is captured accurately and efficiently into the National Identity Database. This is critical for national planning and delivering services that truly meet the needs of our people,” she stated.
Providing a mid-term performance update, the NIMC boss noted several key accomplishments, including the clearance of long-standing debts owed to enrollment frontend partners, the replacement of obsolete equipment, and the training and promotion of over 1,000 NIMC staff to improve service delivery across the country.
She also addressed the issue of public trust and data protection, pointing to the launch of the NIN Auth App—a digital platform that empowers individuals to control data access and consent in real-time.
“We have taken deliberate steps to ensure Nigerians know their data is secure. The NIN Auth App puts power in the hands of the data subjects, allowing them to give or withdraw consent at any time,” Engr. Coker-Odusote said.
She added that NIMC is working closely with the Nigeria Data Protection Commission and the Cybersecurity Division of the Nigeria Police Force to crack down on data phishing and unauthorized NIN registration centers exploiting citizens.
The Director-General also congratulated President Tinubu on his second year in office and reiterated NIMC’s alignment with the administration’s drive to bring government services closer to the people.
“As more government-to-people services are digitized and integrated, more Nigerians will benefit from interventions as envisioned by the President,” she said.
Engr. Coker-Odusote disclosed an ongoing partnership with telecommunications operators aimed at enabling unbanked Nigerians to access digital identity and related social empowerment initiatives.
