THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has entered into a strategic partnership with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) aimed at harmonising Nigeria’s voter registration and identity management systems.
During a courtesy visit to the INEC headquarters in Abuja, NIMC’s Director-General, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, and her team met with INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, to discuss the collaboration.
Both agencies emphasised that the initiative would strengthen the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process by integrating their extensive biometric databases—INEC’s voter records and NIMC’s National Identification Number (NIN) system.
Yakubu described the move as “a transformative step” for the country’s democracy, noting that the partnership leverages two of Nigeria’s most critical biometric repositories to ensure secure and transparent elections.
At a joint press conference, Coker-Odusote underscored that the integration of NIMC’s identity system with INEC’s Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercises would guarantee that every eligible voter is uniquely verified.
She assured Nigerians that data privacy and security would remain top priorities, aligning with both national laws and international best practices.
The collaboration, according to both agencies, reflects President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, which prioritises technology-driven governance reforms.
“This alliance is not just about elections—it is about national progress,” Coker-Odusote said, stressing that providing INEC with accurate and verifiable identity data will close loopholes in the electoral process and foster greater public trust.
The announcement was confirmed yesterday in a statement released via NIMC’s official X (formerly Twitter) handle.