Nigeria has issued over 127 million National Identification Numbers (NINs), according to data from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), marking a significant rise from 114.5 million at the start of 2025. Despite this growth, experts point to a widening gap between registration numbers and the actual use of digital identities in banking, healthcare, telecommunications and public services. A May 2026 study by global secure identity firm IN Groupe, covering 210 countries, found that digital identity success depends less on technology and more on integration into everyday economic systems. Nigeria ranks among Africa's most mature digital identity ecosystems, alongside Kenya, Ethiopia and South Africa, due in part to federal directives linking NINs to SIM cards and the Bank Verification Number (BVN).
The NIN-SIM policy helped increase registrations from 46.4 million in early 2021 to over 94 million within two years. Similarly, the Central Bank of Nigeria's mandate to link BVN and NIN led to broader adoption, with the BVN database reaching 67.8 million records by the end of 2025. This integration has had measurable effects: digital payment fraud losses dropped by 51 percent, from N52.26 billion in 2024 to N25.85 billion in 2025, according to the Nigeria Inter-Bank Settlement System (NIBSS). Analysts attribute the decline to stronger identity verification reducing fraudulent transactions.
Still, challenges persist. Nigeria has more than 320 million active bank accounts but fewer than 70 million unique BVNs, suggesting duplicate or unverified accounts remain widespread. NIN enrolment also lags behind the country's estimated population of over 200 million. Women and rural populations are underrepresented in registration figures, and low-connectivity areas face ongoing access barriers. To reach the 180 million target by the end of 2026 under the Digital Identity for National Development programme, NIMC must register more than three million people monthly—a pace that poses logistical hurdles. The IN Groupe report stresses that the main obstacles are not technological but relate to inclusion, accessibility and institutional adoption.
NIMC celebrates 127 million NINs while over 70 million Nigerians remain unregistered, exposing a disconnect between headline figures and inclusion. The same BVN system meant to clean up banking holds fewer than 70 million unique identities amid 320 million accounts, suggesting verification gaps persist. A digital identity system cannot reduce fraud if millions of accounts and citizens remain outside its reach.
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