Nigeria, World Bank Launch Grassroots Identity Enrollment Drive

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), in partnership with the World Bank’s ID4D initiative, has launched a nationwide initiative to bring identity enrollment directly to communities, aiming to reach millions of Nigerians previously excluded due to distance, insecurity and poor infrastructure.

The Commission’s Director-General, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, explained that enrollment is shifting from local government offices to community-level outreach, in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda. 

She emphasized that effective verification is critical and warned that enrollment is completely free, urging Nigerians not to pay for the service.

Starting February 16, a six-week community outreach will focus on hard-to-reach populations. To ensure effective grassroots mobilisation, the Commission is partnering with the National Orientation Agency, (NOA), to distribute sensitization materials in indigenous languages.

Recent updates to the NIMC Act, including provisions from the Cybersecurity Bill (2015) and Data Protection Act (2023), have strengthened Nigeria’s digital identity framework bringing it in line with international standards.

Safiya Muhammed Bello