The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has reported that telecoms industry’s Subscriber Identification Module (SIM) cards linkage with the National Identification Number (NIN) surged to a new high of 172.67 million in May this year.
The Director-General/CEO, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, made this disclosure during her speech at a two-day Roundtable with Guild of Corporate Online Editors (GOCOP) in Lagos.
According to her, more than 3 million farmers and 800,000 students have already benefited from NIN-SIM linked services across sectors like agriculture, education, and social protection.
Represented at the forum by the commission’s Sirector of Software and Biometrics, Engr. Lanre Yusuf, the Director-General said: “With NIN now a prerequisite for accessing student loans, farmer subsidies, SIM card registration, and social welfare schemes, we are seeing unprecedented levels of financial inclusion.
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“Over 3 million farmers and 800,000 students have already benefited from NIN-linked services.
“In addition, SIM-NIN linkage as at May, 2025, has reached 172.67 million, enhancing regulatory compliance and financial service accessibility.
“Our partnership with the National Social Safety Net Coordinating Office (NASSCO) has further expanded enrolment coverage among Nigeria’s most vulnerable populations, validating entries into the National Social Register and enabling better-targeted poverty alleviation programs”, she added.
Coker-Odusote promised that the NIMC would continue to expand its coverage to underserved groups, with over 7,000 trained front-end agents and dedicated outreach initiatives under the Nigeria Digital ID4D project.
According to her, the commission’s primary goal is to ensure that every Nigerian can say “I am recognised, I am included, I am identified.”
Since its launch a few years ago, the SIM-NIN integration exercise has helped in enhancing national security and financial inclusion, enabling regulatory bodies like the Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) and Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) to strengthen digital compliance frameworks, among other benefits.
