Despite receiving approval in January 2025, the process of registering inmates for National Identity Numbers (NIN) has not commenced in any of Nigeria’s 256 custodial centres, a recent report has found.
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) had granted the Nigerian Correctional Service (NCoS) the authority to carry out the registration, aiming to integrate inmates into national development frameworks and enhance their security.
Controller General of Corrections, Sylvester Nwakuche, who initiated the request, argued that NIN registration would help to end the exclusion of inmates from vital national programmes and improve the security environment within correctional facilities. He also pointed out its importance in tracking and recapturing escapees.
Despite these objectives, the actual implementation has been delayed. NCoS sources attribute the holdup to the scale of the task and ongoing logistical arrangements. NCoS spokesperson Umar Abubakar explained, “Work is in progress. Don’t forget we have about 256 custodial centres across the federation, and it will take time to ensure all inmates are key to the system.”
The report concludes that while the groundwork is being laid, the project remains in the planning phase.