There has been a 307.88 percent surge in the number of diaspora National Identification Number (NIN) enrolments as the federal government steps up its effort to digitally capture every citizen into a central database.
Between February 22, 2023 and February 28, 2025, diaspora NIN enrolment has surged by 307.88 percent to 1.49 million from 366,164, according to new data from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC).
About 563,469 are females and 930,044 are males. This is as the total number of NIN enrolments increased by 21.24 percent to 117 million from 96.5 million in the period under review. At least 1.7 million Nigerians live in the diaspora according to the World Bank’s ‘The World Development Report 2023: Migrants, refugees, and societies,’ report.
In 2019, NIMC launched diaspora registrations to capture Nigerians living outside the country into the National identity database. Without NINs, diasporan Nigerians could not renew their passports, and enrolment is not free.
Read also: NIN enrollment slows to 648,888 monthly amid server upgrade
Through NIN, the government hopes to link citizens’ records — demographic data, fingerprints, head-to-shoulder facial pictures, other biometric data, and digital signatures — in a national identity database to enable easy confirmation and verification of identity.
In 2023, the NIN service was available in 77 foreign countries, with 40 in Africa, nine in Asia/Middle East, 23 in Europe/Oceania, and five in the American region. The federal government wants every Nigerian to get a NIN and continues to make the process easy for the diasporan community.
In 2024, it announced the launch of an app and a diaspora focal point desk to resolve issues within 24 hours. Abike Dabiri-Erewa, chairman of Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, emphasised that the new system would ensure easy linkage of NIN with international passports for diasporan Nigerians.
The commission recently noted that it is rolling out diaspora contactless enrolment software to enable the country’s diaspora population to experience seamless enrolment for NIN. So far, Nigeria has got $228.59 million for its NIN project from a $430 million World Bank, French Development Agency, and European Investment Bank facility.
According to the World Bank, by investing in “digital identification and the accompanying analogue complements, Nigeria can unlock its digital economy which will have a ripple effect across the continent.”