By Saintmoses Eromosele (SME)
Nigeria’s elections will only be as credible as the voter register used to conduct them. Despite improvements in election technology, one major weakness remains: the voter register is still not linked to Nigeria’s National Identification Number (NIN), even though NIN has become the main way the country confirms the true identity of citizens.
Today, NIN is already used almost everywhere. JAMB and WAEC require it for examination registration. Banks use it to open and maintain accounts. SIM cards are linked to it. Tax authorities and many government programmes rely on it. In practice, Nigeria has accepted NIN as its national identity backbone. This makes it reasonable to ask why voting—the foundation of democracy—has not followed the same path.
Linking NIN to the voter register does not need to be complex. A credible voter register can be built using five basic details already captured by NIMC: a person’s name, date of birth, local government of origin, local government of residence, and the NIN number itself. These details are enough to confirm identity, age, eligibility and location for voting. The NIN ensures that each person can only be registered once.
This simple integration would significantly reduce problems such as multiple registrations, underage voting and unclear voter records. It would also make the voter register easier to verify and defend whenever election results are questioned.
Concerns are often raised about the law or privacy, but these concerns are overstated. There is no law preventing INEC from working with NIMC to improve the voter register. Data protection laws already exist, and many institutions safely use NIN every day to manage information that is even more sensitive than voter details. If NIN can be trusted for banking, education and taxation, it can also be trusted for voting.
Another concern is the fear of excluding eligible voters. This can be addressed through a gradual process. Voter registration can remain open while NIN linkage is completed before Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) are issued or activated. With expanded NIMC centres, mobile enrolment teams and proper planning, no Nigerian needs to be disenfranchised.
Ultimately, this is about public trust. Nigerians want confidence that elections are fair and that the voter register is clean. Linking NIN to the voter register using simple details such as name, date of birth, local government of origin and residence, and the NIN itself will greatly strengthen confidence in the electoral system.
Nigeria already relies on NIN to manage its economy, education and public services. Extending the same logic to voter registration is a necessary and achievable reform that will make Nigeria’s democracy stronger.
Written by Saintmoses Eromosele (SME),
Executive Director,
ONEGHE SELE FOUNDATION
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