The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has partnered with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) to harmonise identity and voter registration processes across the country.
The partnership aimed to strengthen the country’s electoral system by integrating NIMC’s National Identification Number (NIN) database into future Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercises.
INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, said this when the NIMC Director-General, Abisola Kukar, and her delegation visited the INEC headquarters in Abuja.
Yakubu, hailed the ongoing cooperation between the two federal agencies, stating that the collaboration would transform the country’s electoral system.
He noted that both agencies collectively hold the largest biometric databases in Nigeria—INEC for electoral purposes, and NIMC for general citizenship identification.
This was disclosed in a statement on the NIMC X handle on Wednesday.
NIMC Director-General, Abisola Kukar, emphasised that the collaboration between the two agencies was a strategic alliance for national progress.
She stated that NIMC was committed to providing INEC with secure, up-to-date, verifiable identity data for voter verification and ensuring data privacy and protection in line with national laws and global best practices.
“DG/CEO, NIMC, Dr Abisoye Coker-Odusote, alongside the management team, held a joint press conference with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), led by its Chairman, Professor 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,” the statement read.
“The Joint press conference centred on the collaboration between the two strategic agencies of the Federal Government of Nigeria, towards strengthening Nigeria’s electoral process, in line with President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
“Coker-Odusote said that the collaboration between the NIMC and INEC is a strategic alliance for 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.
“Consequently, NIMC is committed to providing INEC with secure, up-to-date, verifiable identity data for voter verification and ensuring data privacy and protection in line with national laws and global best practices, she said.”
The partnership is expected to ensure that every eligible voter is uniquely and verifiably identified, thereby strengthening the integrity of the electoral process.
By integrating NIMC’s NIN database into the voter registration process, INEC aimed to improve the accuracy and reliability of voter registration data.
The partnership aligned with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which aims to promote good governance and reform critical institutions in Nigeria.
