The Federal Government is targeting 95 per cent National Identification Number enrolment by December 2026, following a directive from President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Tinubu announced the target during the 8th National Identity Day celebration held in Abuja on Wednesday.
The President was represented at the event by his Chief of Staff, Femi Gbajabiamila.
Identity System Linked to Economic Growth
President Tinubu said Nigeria’s identity infrastructure would play an important role in the country’s digital and economic development.
He explained that the government was putting the necessary digital infrastructure in place to make the national identity system more useful to Nigerians.
The President said Nigeria’s digital ecosystem should support the country’s digital economy.
He also linked the development of the digital economy to wider economic growth across Africa.
Secure Digital ID for Nigerians
According to Tinubu, the government wants to establish a system where Nigerians can use secure identification to access different services.
These services could include banking, online business and welfare payments.
Healthcare, education and transportation are also expected to benefit from the system.
The President said a trusted digital identity could make it easier to verify people when they use government and private-sector services.
Electronic Documents and Signatures
The Federal Government is also working on digital security measures.
Tinubu said the government was accelerating efforts to create a secure national framework for online documents, signatures and transactions.
Under the planned system, Nigerians would be able to sign documents electronically and securely.
Government documents could also be verified online to help establish their authenticity.
The system is expected to provide additional protection for online payments and official government communications.
Why NIN Coverage Matters
A broader national identity system can help government agencies establish the identity of people accessing public services.
It can also support digital transactions and make it easier to verify individuals across different platforms.
The government therefore sees NIN enrolment as an important part of its wider digital transformation programme.
With the new directive, agencies responsible for identity management are expected to work towards reaching the 95 per cent coverage target by December 2026.
The directive was announced as Nigeria marked its 8th National Identity Day in Abuja.
