On paperwork
As of 25 July 2023, over 101.64 million National Identification Numbers (NINs) have been registered in Nigeria, as the National Identity…
As of 25 July 2023, over 101.64 million National Identification Numbers (NINs) have been registered in Nigeria, as the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) reported. From the figures presented on its July dashboard, the commission said Lagos led with 11 million enrollees. On a gender basis, men accounted for 56.79 percent (57 million) of registrations, while women comprised 43.21 percent (43 million). The top five states for new registrations after Lagos were Kano, Kaduna, Ogun and Oyo, with over nine million, six million, four million and 3.9 million registrations, respectively.
As we opined earlier, resolving trusted identity remains at the base of efficient social, economic and government policymaking initiatives. Layered with a redesign of the country’s address system and revamping the Nigerian Postal Service (NIPOST) to do efficient last-mile delivery, we can begin to hash out these benefits, but Nigeria has always been notorious for lack of representative data. For example, Nigeria’s population censuses have always been contentious, representing the political class’ desire. NIN has become mandatory to drive enrolment for processing international passports and other government services. As of July 2023, NIN registrations have reached 101.64 million, showing that the population is unevenly distributed. Lagos State has 11 million registrations, followed by Kano (nine million), Kaduna (six million), Ogun (four million) and Oyo (3.9 million). Despite boasting a larger population, the North has a lower NIN registration rate, likely influenced by poverty, illiteracy, insecurity and the reduced interaction with formal institutions that necessitate NIN registration. NIN data has some potential for estimating Nigeria’s population, but this has to be done considering the portion of the population not captured by the process. According to the National Population Commission, only about 60% of the population has registered. NIN data does not include undocumented immigrants, estimated at around 10 million. Despite these limitations, a more accurate population estimate can be derived by considering these factors. This is important because while Nigeria needs a sound understanding of its population size and distribution, the cost of holding a census in Nigeria is currently unaffordable, with estimates of ₦2 trillion being mooted by the federal government. In comparison, NIN registration is cost-effective. Registering an individual costs about $10, totalling around $2 billion to get a useful estimate of the entire population. This more budget-friendly option can provide a well-informed population estimate for long-term planning.