KEY POINTS

• Diaspora NIN enrollments have surged by 307.88%.
• NIN services are now available in 77 countries worldwide.
• The government has secured $228.59 million for the NIN project.

As the federal government steps up efforts to digitally capture every citizen into a central database, the number of diaspora National Identification Number (NIN) enrollments has increased by 307.88%.

Diaspora NIN enrollments increase by 307.88% in two years

New data from the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) shows that diaspora NIN enrollments increased 307.88% from February 22, 2023 to February 28, 2025, from 366,164 to 1.49 million. There are 930,044 men and 563,469 women in the total. During the same time period, the total number of NIN enrollments in the nation increased from 96.5 million to 117 million, a 21.24% increase.

At least 1.7 million Nigerians are estimated to be living overseas in the World Bank’s The World Development Report 2023: Migrants, Refugees, and Societies.

Government enhances NIN process for Nigerians living overseas

In order to include Nigerians residing abroad in the National Identity Database, NIMC started diaspora registrations in 2019. Nigerians living abroad are unable to renew their passports without a NIN, and enrollment is not free. For simpler identity verification, the government wants to connect all of the records of its citizens—including digital signatures, fingerprints, facial photos, and demographic information—into a national identity database.

According to Business day, 40 nations in Africa, nine in Asia and the Middle East, 23 in Europe and Oceania, and five in the Americas had NIN services by 2023. The government keeps making things easier for the diaspora.

To resolve problems within 24 hours, the government introduced an app and a diaspora focal point desk in 2024. The chairwoman of the Nigerians in Diaspora Commission, Abike Dabiri-Erewa, stressed that the new method will make it easier for Nigerians living abroad to link their NINs with foreign passports.

To guarantee a smooth NIN registration process, the commission has recently started implementing contactless diaspora enrollment software. Out of a $430 million financial facility from the World Bank, the French Development Agency, and the European Investment Bank, Nigeria has so far received $228.59 million for the NIN project.

According to the World Bank, Nigeria would be able to unleash its digital economy with the backing of digital identity and related infrastructure, which will benefit the entire African continent.