The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have deepened their collaboration to link voter registration with the National Identification Number (NIN) system.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this on Wednesday when he hosted NIMC Director-General, Engr. Bisoye Coker-Odusote, and her management team at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
Yakubu noted that INEC and NIMC hold the two largest biometric databases in Nigeria, stressing that the integration would enhance identity management and improve the credibility of elections. He added that the agencies had already piloted the initiative during the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in Anambra State between July 8 and 20, 2025, and were now ready to roll it out nationwide.
“Since the ultimate goal is to enroll every citizen with NIMC, we look forward to the day when your database will serve as the single source of truth for citizenship identification in Nigeria. When the time comes, the national register of voters may simply draw from the citizenship register, as is the case in many countries,” Yakubu said.
On her part, Coker-Odusote reaffirmed NIMC’s mandate to harmonise identity data across government institutions. She said officials would be deployed to INEC’s CVR centres nationwide, allowing Nigerians to register as voters and obtain NINs at the same time.
“In line with the Renewed Hope agenda of Mr. President, who is committed to ensuring credible elections anchored on reliable identity systems, we are here to strengthen this collaboration,” she added.
