NIMC hits 120 million NIN enrolments, slashes verification fees but hikes data correction charges

On Wednesday, May 14, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) announced that it has successfully enrolled 120,000,040 Nigerians and legal residents into the National Identity Number (NIN) database—a major milestone in its ongoing national identification drive.

Speaking at a press conference in Abuja, the Director General of NIMC, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, also addressed the recent controversial review of service charges, explaining the rationale behind price adjustments for different categories of NIMC services.

“There were some prices that were too much, so what we did was to remove them,” she said. “There were all sorts of prices over there. People were extorting citizens with outrageous prices.”

Coker-Odusote emphasized that NIN enrolment remains free, but explained that charges for modifying personal data—such as name changes or date of birth corrections—have increased, while verification charges have been reduced.

“Some prices were reviewed downwards and others upwards. In terms of verification, the prices were reviewed downwards, but upwards in terms of modifications,” she explained.

Breakdown of NIMC’s new price adjustments

The revised price framework, which came into effect on May 1, 2025, includes the following changes:

• Date of birth correction now costs ₦28,574, up from ₦16,340

• NIN retrieval via USSD has increased from ₦20 to ₦50

These adjustments, according to NIMC, are part of a broader effort to standardize fees, eliminate arbitrary pricing, and curb extortion by third-party agents.

40% drop in corruption, says NIMC boss

Coker-Odusote also noted that under her leadership, corruption within the agency has declined by 40% over the last two years, attributing the improvement to better internal controls and digital process integration.

“We’ve been expanding infrastructure and improving internal systems to serve Nigerians more efficiently. It’s been a two-year transformation journey,” she said.

She added that the commission remains committed to making the NIN ecosystem more accessible and accountable, especially as it plays a critical role in everything from SIM card registration to financial services and e-governance.

With over 120 million enrollees, NIMC is now one of the largest identity databases on the continent, and officials say the focus will now shift to data accuracy, integrity, and seamless verification systems across public and private sectors.