The Federal Government has linked the National Identification Numbers (NINs) of 15.65 million Nigerians to the National Social Register in a move aimed at improving the identification of poor and vulnerable households and strengthening the delivery of social welfare programmes.
The National Social Safety-Nets Coordinating Office (NASSCO) said the exercise had also led to updates covering more than 13.3 million unique households across 771 Local Government Areas in 37 states as of October 2026.
According to the agency, the integration is intended to improve the reliability of beneficiary records and help ensure that government assistance reaches eligible households.
“As of October 2026, we have successfully integrated the National Identification Number of over 15.6 million individuals into the National Social Register, with more than 13.3 million unique households updated across 771 Local Government Areas in 37 states,” NASSCO said.
The National Social Register currently contains 21,114,531 households and 83,162,654 individuals, based on the figures provided by the agency.
Of the households listed, approximately 13.3 million, representing 63.13 per cent, have been updated, while about 7.78 million households are still awaiting updates.
The 15.65 million individuals whose NINs have been linked account for approximately 18.82 per cent of the total 83.16 million individuals recorded in the register, indicating that substantial work remains to extend the identification process.
The National Social Register is used to identify poor and vulnerable households for social protection interventions, including cash transfers and other forms of government support.
Linking beneficiaries’ records to the NIN system is expected to make it easier for authorities to verify identities, identify duplicate records and improve the accuracy of information used to select beneficiaries.
The process could also help reduce fraud and prevent individuals from appearing multiple times under different records. By improving the quality of beneficiary data, the government hopes to reduce payment errors and direct limited public resources towards households that meet the relevant eligibility criteria.
For vulnerable families, better identification and record management could improve the administration of cash transfers and other support programmes. However, having a NIN linked to the register does not automatically guarantee that an individual or household will receive a payment, as eligibility and disbursement remain subject to the applicable programme requirements.
The NIN integration also provides an opportunity to improve transparency and accountability by making it easier for programme administrators to verify beneficiaries and monitor the delivery of assistance.
The development comes amid ongoing efforts to expand Nigeria’s social protection system and provide financial support to households affected by poverty and rising living costs.
According to the figures supplied, the government had disbursed ₦658.9 billion in direct cash transfers to 10.46 million vulnerable households by September 2026, with support from the World Bank.
The World Bank has called for the programme to be expanded, with higher payment amounts and more consistent delivery to eligible beneficiaries.
The effectiveness of the latest NIN integration will depend not only on the number of records linked but also on the accuracy of the data, the inclusion of eligible households that remain unregistered, and the timely delivery of payments.
As the government continues updating the National Social Register, attention is likely to focus on how quickly outstanding records are processed and whether improved identification translates into more reliable support for Nigerians facing economic hardship.
