INEC, NIMC Move to Ease Voter, NIN Registrations Nationwide

INEC, NIMC Move to Ease Voter, NIN Registrations Nationwide

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja 

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) have announced a new partnership that will allow Nigerians to register for both their Permanent Voter Card (PVC) and National Identification Number (NIN) at the same time in designated centres nationwide.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja during a courtesy visit by NIMC’s Director-General, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, and her management team.

Prof. Yakubu said the initiative will make it easier for millions of citizens yet to complete either process to do so without stress.

“In furtherance of this collaboration, NIMC is deploying its officials to some of our registration centres during the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).

“This will provide more Nigerians the opportunity to enroll for the NIN while registering as voters. We tested the initiative during a pilot exercise in Anambra State in July, and we are now set to scale it up nationwide,” Yakubu explained.

The INEC boss emphasised that the collaboration is part of a long-term goal to integrate voter and citizenship data, with the potential of enabling Nigerians to vote from anywhere in the country.

“When the time comes, the national register of voters may simply draw from the citizenship register, as is the case in many democracies around the world,” he said.

On her part, Coker-Odusote reaffirmed NIMC’s commitment to harmonising identity data across government institutions, describing its collaboration with INEC as critical to credible elections.

“Our goal is to provide a trusted identity system that supports credible elections. “That is why we are working closely with INEC, particularly during the voter registration exercise, to ensure citizens at the grassroots have access to both NIN enrollment and voter registration,” she said.

Coker-Odusote noted that although NIMC is working with more than 14 statutory agencies, its relationship with INEC is one of the most important “because credible elections are the foundation of Nigeria’s democracy.”

Both organisations pledged to deepen the partnership in order to strengthen Nigeria’s electoral integrity and make the processes of voter registration and national identity enrollment seamless for citizens.