The Nation wide National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment figures of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), as at February 21, 2022, stood at 75.36 million unique records, statistics obtained from the official website of NIMC has revealed.

The data also showed that Lagos State is leading other states in Nigeria, having recorded the highest cumulative enrolment figure of over 8.7 million, as at February 21 this year.

Regional figures indicated an equal distribution across Northern and Southern parts of the country.
However, the general enrolment distribution by gender showed that males had greater enrolment number of 56 per cent, than females that had 44 per cent enrolment number.

Diaspora enrolment of females, stood at 44, 033, while diaspora enrolment for males, stood at 55,181 as at February 21, 2022.

The top 10 states that are leading in enrolment number are Lagos, with 8,702,838, followed by Kano, with 6,148,337 and Kaduna, with 4,4485,752 enrolment number.

Others are Oyo, with 3,068,005 enrolment figure; Ogun, with 3,044,046 enrolment; Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja, with 2,836,167 enrolment; Rivers, with 2,296,830 enrolment; Katsina, with 2,255,297 enrolment; Delta, with 2,082,347 and Borno, with 1,957,248.

According to the statistics, the bottom 10 states that are lagging behind for NIN enrolment, include: Akwa-Ibom, with 1,350,087 enrolment; Imo, with 1,278,015 enrolment; Zamfara, with 1,247,829 enrolment; Enugu, with 1,242,934 enrolment; Yobe, with 1,108,883 enrolment and Taraba, with 1,105,349.

Others states at the bottom of the enrolment ladder, include: Ekiti, with 865,024 enrolment; Cross River, with 851,238 enrolment; Ebonyi, with 616,590 enrolment; while Bayelsa had the least number in NIN enrolment, with 511,694 enrolment as at February 21, 2022, which is the latest statistics released by NIMC on its website.

Before now, NIN enrolment figures across the country was abysmally low, and Nigerians have attributed the low level of enrolment to lack of awareness campaign on the part of government, coupled with the limited enrolment centres across the country, a situation that caused congestions and stampede at the few enrolment centres across the country.

The February figures released by NIMC, however showed a jump in the number of NIN enrolment figures from 5.01 million in 2020 to 10 million in May 2021 and to 71 million in December 2021, and a further rise in the figures to 75.36 million in February 2022.

Giving reasons for the jump in NIN enrolment, the Director General of NIMC, Aliyu Aziz, told THISDAY that NIMC increased the number of enrolment centres across the country from 1,000 in 2020, to 14,000 as at December 31, 2021.

According to Aziz, “To reduce the crowd besieging our offices for enrolment, the commission introduced a number booking system, which allows only persons who have been pre-booked for a particular day to visit our offices. We also encouraged NIN application through the pre-enrolment portal on the NIMC official web page- www.nimc.gov.ng.”

The Minister of Communications and Digital Economy, Dr. Isa Ibrahim Pantami, while announcing the extension of the deadline for the NIN-SIM linkage from December 31, 2021 to March 31 2022, said: “Industry stakeholders have applauded the federal government on the significant growth in the number of NIN enrolments and the increased drive to enlighten Nigerians and legal residents across the country on the importance of NIN enrolment. As at December 31, 2021, NIMC has established over 14,000 enrolment centres across the country. NIMC has also set up enrolment centres in over 31 countries to cater for Nigerians in the Diaspora. The unprecedented growth in the number of NIN enrolment in such a short period, with about three to four SIMs linked to a NIN, reflects the concerted effort of the federal government, the Nigerian populace and legal residents and this is truly commendable.”

Pantami further said the extension would enable the federal government to consolidate the gains of the process and accelerate the enrolment of Nigerians in key areas like the remote areas, diaspora, schools, hospitals, worship centres, and the registration of legal residents.