The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced a new partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to harmonise identity management and voter registration processes across Nigeria.
During a visit by NIMC’s Director-General, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, to the INEC headquarters in Abuja, INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu welcomed the collaboration, stressing its potential to transform Nigeria’s electoral system.
According to Yakubu, the synergy is particularly significant because both agencies manage the country’s largest biometric databases. While INEC oversees voter data for elections, NIMC maintains a comprehensive database for general citizenship identification.
This development was confirmed in a statement posted on NIMC’s official X handle on Wednesday. The statement noted: “DG/CEO, NIMC, Engr. (Dr) Abisoye Coker-Odusote, alongside the management team, held a joint press conference with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), led by its Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, on the collaboration between the two agencies on the use of a credible digital identity token (National Identification Number, NIN) to strengthen the nation’s electoral system.”
Furthermore, the press briefing highlighted that the partnership aligns with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which seeks to modernise governance and improve transparency.
Speaking on the collaboration, Coker-Odusote described it as a strategic alliance that will advance national progress.
“Integrating NIMC’s National Identification Number (NIN) database into future Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercises will help ensure that every eligible voter is uniquely and verifiably identified,” she explained:
In addition, she reaffirmed NIMC’s commitment to supporting INEC by providing secure, accurate, and verifiable identity data during voter verification. She also stressed that data privacy and protection remain a priority, noting that all processes would comply with national laws and international best practices.
By combining resources and expertise, INEC and NIMC aim to build a more credible, transparent, and secure electoral process for Nigeria.
