…As NIMC Vows Data Integration Breakthrough
By Joy Odor, Abuja
Nigeria’s democratic and identity management architecture is set for a historic transformation as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) sealed a strategic partnership to integrate voter registration with the National Identification Number (NIN) System.
Announcing the pact on Wednesday at INEC headquarters in Abuja during a courtesy visit by the NIMC Director-General, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu described the collaboration as “historic” and “transformational,” noting that both agencies hold the country’s largest biometric databases.
Yakubu declared that the initiative would simplify voter registration, eliminate duplication, and ultimately lead to a groundbreaking reform where Nigeria’s voter register would be drawn directly from NIMC’s citizenship database.
“We look forward to the day when your database will serve as the single source of truth for citizenship identification in Nigeria,” Yakubu said. “This will enable citizens to vote from anywhere in the country, not just where they initially registered.”
As part of the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), NIMC officials will now be deployed to INEC registration centres to simultaneously enroll Nigerians for NIN alongside their voter registration.
This follows a successful pilot scheme conducted in Anambra State from July 8 to 20, 2025.
Yakubu stressed that the move underscores INEC’s determination to uphold credibility and deepen collaboration with strategic institutions to safeguard Nigeria’s democracy.
INEC also reaffirmed its constitutional mandate to deliver transparent elections, announcing the commencement of a nationwide daily voters registration exercise.
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.
Meanwhile, 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.
