NIMC Says Nigeria Has Moved Beyond Fragmented Identity Databases

The Director General of the National Identity Management Commission, Engineer Abisoye Coker Odusote, has declared that Nigeria has moved beyond the era of fragmented identity databases, even as banks, telecom operators and immigration authorities continue running separate data registration systems.

Coker Odusote said the commission’s confirmation protocol, which verifies data against the National Identification Number, is not the same as operating a fully unified database, clarifying a distinction that has fuelled public confusion over Nigeria’s digital identity architecture.

The clarification comes as the commission continues efforts to consolidate identity verification across multiple sectors, with the NIN increasingly required for banking, telecommunications, immigration and other government services nationwide.

Industry stakeholders have raised concerns over the continued practice of silo based data registration across banks, telecom companies and immigration agencies, arguing that true interoperability remains a work in progress despite the NIN’s growing adoption.

The NIMC boss said the commission remains committed to strengthening data integration across government and private sector platforms, describing the NIN as the foundation for a more coordinated national identity ecosystem.

Digital rights advocates say greater clarity on how the NIN confirmation protocol interacts with sector specific databases would help address lingering public concerns about data privacy and duplication across Nigeria’s identity infrastructure.