The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has recorded significant progress in its nationwide and overseas enrolment efforts, with the total number of Nigerians issued National Identification Numbers (NIN) hitting 118.4 million by the end of March 2025.
This marks an increase of 1.1 million from the 117.3 million recorded in February.
Of this figure, over 1.5 million NINs have been generated through the commission’s diaspora registration initiative.
The NIMC has so far established 152 enrolment centres across 38 countries to serve Nigerians living abroad, ensuring they remain part of the national database.
An analysis of the latest figures reveals that Lagos State continues to top the chart with over 12.7 million registered individuals.
The commission’s gender-disaggregated data also shows that males account for approximately 66.9 million NINs, representing 56.5%, while females make up 43.5% with 51.5 million enrolments.
Other leading states in terms of NIN issuance include Kano with 10.4 million, Kaduna (6.99 million), Ogun (4.96 million), Oyo (4.59 million), and Katsina (4.04 million). Abuja follows with 3.83 million, Rivers has 3.56 million, Delta recorded 3.22 million, and Jigawa registered 3.1 million.
On the other end, Bayelsa remains the state with the fewest NIN registrations, with 767,620 issued.
Others at the bottom of the chart include Ebonyi (999,991), Ekiti (1.14 million), Cross River (1.40 million), Taraba (1.79 million), Yobe (1.86 million), and Kogi (1.91 million).
In a related development, the commission has reiterated its warning to Nigerians against sharing or selling their NINs.
According to NIMC’s Head of Corporate Communications, Dr. Kayode Adegoke, the practice of exchanging NINs for money is illegal and violates the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007, the Data Protection Act, and the Cybercrime Act.
Dr. Adegoke confirmed that following reports of such illicit activities, a joint operation involving the NIMC, the Department of State Services (DSS), and the Nigeria Police led to the arrest of suspects engaged in unauthorised collection and trade of NINs.
These individuals are currently under investigation and will face legal consequences.
NIMC stressed that Nigerians, particularly those in Anambra where recent violations were reported, should avoid disclosing their NINs to unauthorised persons or platforms.
The commission emphasised that NINs should only be used for official transactions with government-recognised agencies or verified private sector services, warning that violators will be sanctioned accordingly.
%20has%20recorded%20significant%20progress%20in%20its%20nationwide%20and%20overseas.){kind=link}