INEC, NIMC Strengthen Collaboration on Voter Registration and Identity Management
Oru Leonard
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), have reaffirmed their commitment to collaboration on voter registration and identity management. This was emphasized during a courtesy visit by the NIMC Director-General, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, to INEC Headquarters in Abuja on September 3, 2025.
Speaking in his welcome remarks, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu explained that while INEC manages the voter database, NIMC holds the broader citizenship records, making both institutions custodians of Nigeria’s largest biometric repositories.
“Ultimately, when every Nigerian is enrolled with NIMC, its database could serve as the single source for citizenship identification. In the future, the National Register of Voters may simply draw from the Citizenship Register, as is done in many democracies. This could even enable citizens to vote from anywhere in the country, rather than being restricted to their polling units,” Yakubu noted.
He disclosed that the two agencies had already piloted the joint registration model during the Anambra State CVR exercise between July 8 and 20, 2025, and plans are underway to scale up the programme nationwide.
“With NIMC present at our registration centres, citizens will have the dual opportunity to register as voters and obtain their NINs,” the INEC Chairman added.
Yakubu stressed that the synergy reflects INEC’s commitment to strengthening electoral integrity through partnerships with national institutions. NIMC is expected to release details of deployment centres and modalities for NIN enrolment during the CVR in the coming days.
The Commission described the process as critical to strengthening its voter database and ensuring that every eligible Nigerian has a secure and verifiable electoral identity.
Speaking earlier in her address, the NIMC Director-General, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, pledged to fast-track full data integration before the end of the year.
She assured Nigerians that the exercise would restore trust, strengthen transparency, and harmonize all national databases in line with global standards.
“Our focus is integration, organization, and trust. Working hand in hand with INEC, we are creating a system Nigerians can rely on, not just for elections, but for access to essential services nationwide,” she stated.
Coker-Odusote emphasized that the partnership is a decisive step towards building a unified identity database that will boost governance, ensure accountability, and guarantee inclusivity.
With this bold alliance, Nigeria edges closer to harmonizing its identity system, a reform that could eventually allow citizens to cast their votes from anywhere in the country, a development observers say could mark the most significant leap in the nation’s electoral history.
This partnership aims to improve the efficiency and accuracy of voter registration and identity management in Nigeria, ultimately enhancing the electoral process
