In the heart of Nigeria’s identity management landscape, a dynamic leader is making waves. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, the Director-General of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), is someone who believes that a secure and inclusive identity system is the foundation upon which a nation’s progress is built. And as such, she is revolutionizing the way Nigerians interact with their government and access essential services in line with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda.
And as Nigeria continues to navigate the complexities of the 21st century, Coker-Odusote’s leadership at NIMC offers a beacon of hope. Her passion for an integrated identity system with a vision for a secure and inclusive identity management system is a testament to the power of identity in shaping a nation’s future.
With her position on an integrated identity system, she constantly drums about an unwavering commitment to excellence and inclusive identity management. And accordingly she has been working to make the NIMC unleash the power of identity to secure Nigeria’s future.
Of course, the NIMC has been a performing organization since its establishment in 2007. But Engr Coker-Odusote has infused it with a new impetus, bringing on board, a her wealth of experience in ICT and identity database management systems to further raise the profile of the agency since her appointment in August 2023.
She believes an integrated identity system will help the nation thrive better. As soon as she settled in office, she read the riot act to NIMC staff and made her readiness for the job known. These included ensuring a seamless enrollment of National Identification Number (NIN), modification services across the nation and also strengthening the integrity of the system she inherited.
“NIMC will strengthen the operation and regulation of all matters related to national identity which encompasses services such as NIN enrolment and issuance, national e-ID card issuance, identity verification as well as data harmonisation and authentication.” She declared.
Her position on an integrated identity system is that it will strengthen government’s fiscal management, promote good governance and transparency through inclusivity and social equality. Armed with more than a decade-long background traversing information technology, finance and data management in the public and private sectors, Coker-Odusote had been unwavering in her bid to build on what her predecessors did at the agency.
And steadily, she makes significant transformation, helping the agency to implement a robust National Identity Management System, which provides citizens with a secure and verifiable form of identification. This system has far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s economic, social, and security landscape.
One major highlight of her early days in office was the clearing of over 2.5 million backlog of requests for modification of NINs. She did that without any noise, but it was an unprecedented move that drew media attention with many wondering how this could have been done in such a short time.
She also read the riot act to touts who were, at that time, extorting people over National Identity card registration. And from reading the riot act to individuals and group who had been extorting potential enrollees to warning NIMC staff, Coker-Odusote had since her first day in office left no doubt that it was a new dawn in the commission.
Not long after her warning, she paid an unscheduled visit to the FCT centre,. That unexpected visit led to some individuals being caught for extorting money from people. They were promptly arrested for innocent Nigerians that came for NIN enrollment.
Under Coker-Odusote’s leadership, NIMC has undergone a significant transformation. One of Coker-Odusote’s greatest achievements is her commitment to making identity management inclusive. She has ensured that NIMC’s programs are designed to reach all Nigerians, regardless of their socio-economic status or geographical location. This approach has helped to bridge the gap between the haves and have-nots, promoting social inclusion and cohesion.
In April, Coker-Odusote paid a visit to the Executive Secretary of UBEC, Aisha Garba, The Executive Secretary welcomed her alongside Princess Aderemi Adebowale, National Programme Manager of the Renewed Hope National Home Grown School Feeding Programme, and senior NIMC officials, for a strategic discussion on enhancing pupil enrollment in Nigeria.
During that visit, the DG/CEO, NIMC highlighted the President’s commitment to using the National Identification Number (NIN) to track the impact of government interventions like the school feeding programme. She stressed the need to validate UBEC’s pupil data to improve transparency and ensure accurate beneficiary records.
In response, the Executive Secretary, UBEC commended the initiative and reaffirmed UBEC’s readiness to collaborate with NIMC and the Ministry of Humanitarian Affairs. She noted that the partnership would support effective programme delivery, boost school enrolment, and strengthen data-driven decision-making in Nigeria’s basic education sector.
Also recently, Engr Coker-Odusote, declared the agency’s ambitious plan to register 95% of Nigerians into the National Identity Database before December 2025. Speaking during a briefing in Abuja, she said the goal aligns with President Bola Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, particularly on digital governance and inclusive development.
According to her, the mass enrollment drive will be powered by a combination of improved infrastructure, expanded registration centres, and robust public sensitization campaigns.
“What we have done in this regard is that we will commence the Ward Enrollment Exercise to capture at least 95% of Nigerians before December, year end,” she said.
As of May 2025, NIMC reports over 120 million Nigerians have been enrolled, and about 100 million more would be captured by December. Coker-Odusote noted that the Commission is working assiduously to meet this target.
The NIMC boss asserted that the ongoing Ward Enrollment Exercise when completed will allow the government to know the actual number of Nigerians and this makes it easy to plan effectively for the citizens.
She adds that another thing the agency has done is to partner with security agencies who are working tirelessly to be able to address and arrest all those who create fake NIN websites.
Also, there is a partnership between NIMC, and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to train all staff who will be handling data, especially the enrolment officers.
She envisions a no distant time in which ministries, departments and agencies will be able to use digital signing across board, and seamlessly exchange documents not only within an agency but between various establishments, thereby ushering in the e-government upon which the digital economy will thrive.
The agency has implemented a robust National Identity Management System, which provides citizens with a secure and verifiable form of identification. This system has far-reaching implications for Nigeria’s economic, social, and security landscape.
This is the strategy. To fully transform the NIMC and put things right, at that time, she put a temporary hold on registration by Front End Partners (FEPs) with a view to ensuring that a revalidation exercise was carried out on the commission’s private sector partners in NIN enrollment and other services.
But what later played out in the media bore the mark of a subtle attack as no fewer than four mainstream media published what was presented as an investigative report that gave a misleading impression of a stalled national ID card scheme because of a refusal to pay the partners.
It was indeed a baptism of fire, coming few days after news of NIMC clearing millions of backlog of NIN modification requests hit the news. Amazingly, the commission was swift enough to clear the air on the situation by making it known that the last time the FEPs were paid was fifteen months before she assumed office and added that the revalidation exercise would provide a clearer picture of what she inherited.
Coker-Odusote’s efforts are not only transforming the lives of Nigerians but also securing the nation’s future. With her expertise and experience, she has been instrumental in shaping Nigeria’s identity management landscape. By providing citizens with secure identities, NIMC is helping to prevent identity-related crimes, such as terrorism and human trafficking. This, in turn, enhances national security and stability.
Abisoye Coker-Odusote is indeed an Amazon at NIMC, unleashing the power of identity to secure Nigeria’s future. Her leadership has transformed the agency, empowered citizens, and enhanced national security. As Nigeria looks to the future, Coker-Odusote’s vision for a secure and inclusive identity management system will remain a guiding force, shaping the nation’s progress and prosperity.
Engineer Abisoye Coker-Odusote is proving to be a great revelation in President Tinubu’s appointment. And if her performance ,so far, are anything to go by, then it may be safe to say that Nigeria is set to witness yet another Amazon in public office.
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