NIMC Upgrades Biometric System as NINs Surpass 104 Million
In a bid to modernize its biometric system, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has renewed its collaboration with IDEMIA Smart Identity. This partnership comes at a pivotal moment as the number of Nigerians with National Identification Numbers (NINs) has surged to over 104 million as of January 2024.
IDEMIA, in a statement retrieved from its website, revealed that the aim of the collaboration is to transform NIMC’s biometric system into one of the most advanced globally. Leveraging cryptographic and biometric technologies, the upgraded system seeks to establish a single trusted identity for every Nigerian.
The enhanced system is projected to handle a staggering one million 1:1 and 1:N identity verification searches daily. Originally designed to accommodate 100 million national identity numbers, the system expansion has become imperative to cater to Nigeria’s entire population.
Read Also:
The NIN plays a pivotal role in the lives of Nigerians and legal residents, serving as a unique identifier akin to the Social Security Number in the United States or the AADHAR number in India. IDEMIA emphasized that NIMC’s efforts align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for 2030, which emphasize universal access to legal identity.
Furthermore, the system upgrade will ensure NIMC’s compliance with open standard interfaces, facilitating seamless connectivity across the identity management ecosystem. Olivier Charlanes, Senior Vice President of the Middle East and Africa at IDEMIA Smart Identity, expressed pride in the collaboration, highlighting its significance in Africa’s most populous nation.
Abisoye Coker-Odusote, CEO of NIMC, emphasized the necessity of the partnership in delivering top-tier solutions to Nigerians. With the system’s enhanced biometric matching capabilities, NIMC aims to future-proof its services for the nation’s expanding population.
NIMC is actively working towards accelerating enrollment, with a target of 148 million by June 2024. Notably, over half a million Nigerians in the Diaspora have obtained NINs, with 59.12 million males and 45.04 million females now registered in the system.
 has renewed its collaboration with IDEMIA){kind=link}