By Blessing Emmanuel
In a decisive move to strengthen Nigeria’s social welfare programmes, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has successfully identified and purged more than 6,000 illegal registrations from its database.
This clean-up effort, carried out under the directive of President Bola Tinubu, is aimed at creating an accurate National Social Register—a critical component for the efficient disbursement of funds for conditional cash transfers, student loans, and other social interventions.
Recall that on Tuesday, February 4, 2025, Minister of Interior Olubunmi Tunji-Ojo briefed the Federal Executive Council on the recent activities of NIMC.
The minister reported that during an extensive database review, the commission detected over 6,000 instances of non-Nigerians, predominantly from the neighboring Niger Republic, erroneously holding Nigerian National Identification Numbers (NINs).
“These records have been immediately withdrawn as part of our ongoing clean-up initiative,” Tunji-Ojo stated, emphasising that the process is essential for ensuring that government funds are directed exclusively to eligible and verifiable beneficiaries.
The renewed focus on data integrity comes amid previous challenges faced by NIMC. On October 13, 2022, a joint operation by troops, the Nigeria Police, and the Nigeria Immigration Service intercepted two suspected fake NIMC officials.
According to then-Director of Defence Media Operations, Maj.-Gen. Musa Danmadami, the suspects had visited the Gagamari IDP camp in the Niger Republic to register non-Nigerians, charging them fees in exchange for Nigerian NINs.
Recovered items included a registration machine, printing and laminating equipment, a computer tracking device, and a generator—tools used to facilitate fraudulent enrolments.
This incident underscored the vulnerabilities in the identification process and the urgent need for a robust verification system to prevent unauthorized access to Nigerian identity credentials.
The NIMC system, which issues an 11-digit unique identification number linked to an individual’s biometric and demographic data, is critical for various governmental and private sector transactions. With the government’s renewed push to build a comprehensive National Social Register, accurate NIN records are paramount.
Sources within the Presidency revealed that President Tinubu is intent on ensuring the database reflects the profiles of the most vulnerable Nigerians.
“The humanitarian ministry, along with the education ministry for student loans, requires a verified list of beneficiaries. The President is determined that funds are disbursed only to those who can be unequivocally identified,” a senior official explained.
Director-General Bisoye Coker-Odusote of NIMC elaborated on the significance of this clean-up during a phone interview.
“This initiative will not only eliminate fraudulent records but also ensure transparency and accountability in government payments. By using the NIN as a digital fingerprint, we can make sure that every disbursed naira reaches a genuine, eligible beneficiary. This is crucial for restoring public confidence in our social investment programmes,” she said.
The clean-up effort is part of a broader government reform of social investment programmes. Following the suspension of all programmes administered by the National Social Investment Programme Agency on January 12, 2024, President Tinubu established a Special Presidential Panel led by Mr. Wale Edun.
The panel, which now includes key figures such as the Coordinating Minister of the Economy and Minister of Finance, the National Security Adviser, the Education Minister, and the Humanitarian Affairs Minister, is tasked with conducting a comprehensive diagnostic and reform of the financial and operational frameworks of these programmes.
The objective is to eliminate institutional weaknesses and ensure that assistance reaches those who truly need it.
Security experts acknowledge that the issue of undocumented foreigners holding Nigerian NINs is not entirely new. Brig. Gen. Aliyu Momoh (retd.) observed, “Our borders are porous, and for years, non-Nigerians have managed to slip into our system. What is needed now is strong political will to address this long-standing challenge.”
