NIMC says Nigeria’s National Identity Database is fully operational, with 130m+ NIN records and expanded capacity for verification and authentication.
Nigeria’s National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says the National Identity Database is functional and in active use. The agency says it holds over 130 million National Identification Number records.
NIMC rejected public comments suggesting Nigeria does not have a functional National Identity Database. The Commission said the claim is misleading and does not match what is happening on the ground.
In its statement, NIMC said the National Identity Database is operational and secure. It said the system supports identity verification and authentication, which means checking that a person is who they claim to be. NIMC also said the database is used for service delivery, which includes access to government and private sector services that require confirmed identity.
NIMC said the database was established under the NIMC Act No. 23 of 2007. It also said it has expanded storage capacity from 100 million to 250 million records to support more enrollments.
The agency pointed to its real-time Verification and Authentication Services, which let government institutions, financial service providers, and other partners confirm identities against the central database. NIMC also referenced its NINAuth platform, a digital identity authentication tool designed for biometric and demographic checks. Biometric means body-based identifiers like fingerprints or face data.
The response follows remarks attributed to the Defence Minister, retired Gen. Christopher Musa. He reportedly said weak national database systems have limited efforts to fight insecurity, kidnapping, and other crimes.
A working national identity database is a core piece of digital public infrastructure, which is shared “plumbing” that helps a country deliver services online. If it works well, it can improve KYC, which is the “know your customer” identity checks used by banks and fintechs. It can also reduce fraud, speed up background checks, and make public services more efficient.
But trust will depend on results Nigerians can feel, including faster enrollment, reliable verification, and clear privacy safeguards around biometric data and phone number to NIN linkages.
Primary Source: Nairametrics
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