NIN IN THE DIASPORA: MUST NIGERIANS PAY SO MUCH TO PROVE THEY ARE NIGERIANS?

By Otunba (Dr) Abdulfalil Abayomi Odunowo

There is a question the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), the National Population Commission (NPC) and the Federal Government must answer publicly and transparently:

Why does securing Nigeria’s basic national identity become so expensive and complicated simply because a Nigerian lives outside the country?

The National Identification Number is not a luxury. It has become one of the most fundamental instruments of Nigerian citizenship and civic life. A Nigerian needs the NIN for an expanding range of government, banking, telecommunications and immigration services. For those living abroad, it is especially critical: the NIN is required to obtain or renew a Nigerian international passport.

Yet a Nigerian resident at home can ordinarily enrol for a NIN free of charge, while a Nigerian abroad may have to pay substantial fees to an authorised private enrolment partner. NIMC explains that its diaspora partners bear the infrastructure and operational costs of overseas enrolment and are therefore permitted to charge applicants. That explanation may make commercial sense. But does it make sufficient public-policy sense?
If the Nigerian state mandates possession of the NIN, should obtaining that compulsory identity impose significantly different financial burdens on citizens solely on the basis of where they reside?

There is a further issue that requires clarification. Paying the diaspora enrolment fee does not necessarily mean the applicant receives a physical national identity card. NIMC’s published fee structure separately provides for diaspora card issuance and delivery. In other words, a Nigerian may pay an overseas enrolment provider, receive a NIN and NIN slip, and still face additional charges if he or she wants the physical identity card delivered abroad.

This distinction may be administratively understandable, but it is not sufficiently understood by the public. When someone pays $50, $80, $100 or more for an official national identity enrolment process, it is reasonable to assume the process culminates in an identity document. Government must therefore make absolutely clear what each payment covers.
Confusion also surrounds Nigerians born before 1992. NIMC’s current guidelines for date-of-birth modification state that persons born before 1992 require a digitised National Population Commission Attestation Certificate, while those born after 1992 require a digitised NPC Birth Certificate. This is a legitimate documentary distinction. It should not, however, be presented as though every Nigerian born before 1992 must automatically purchase a new Birth Attestation Certificate merely to obtain a NIN.

Official and authorised diaspora enrolment information indicates that other identification documents, including a Nigerian international passport, may satisfy enrolment requirements in appropriate circumstances. Nevertheless, the financial burden can become considerable for those who genuinely require birth attestation. Some overseas service providers advertise birth-attestation processing costing more than $100, in addition to NIN enrolment charges. Reports of Nigerians spending $160 or even substantially more before completing their identity documentation therefore deserve investigation rather than dismissal.
The question is not whether private providers incur costs. Of course they do. The question is whether a compulsory national identity system should expose citizens to a chain of charges whose cumulative cost can become excessive.

There should be one transparent national schedule stating clearly:

* What is free
* What the government charges
* What an authorised diaspora partner may charge
* Which services are optional
* What birth documentation is compulsory and under what circumstances
* Whether the physical identity card is included
* Exactly what additional delivery charges are permissible

A Nigerian in London, Toronto, Houston, Johannesburg or Dubai should be able to visit one government website and know precisely what the entire process will cost before leaving home. There should be no ambiguity. There should be no unexpected additional fee. And there should certainly be no situation in which citizens cannot distinguish between a Federal Government charge and a private service-provider charge.

Our diaspora community contributes enormously to Nigeria. Billions of dollars enter the country annually through remittances. Nigerians abroad remain important investors, professionals, ambassadors and supporters of families and communities at home. They should not encounter unnecessary obstacles simply to establish their Nigerian identity.

I therefore urge NIMC and NPC to publish a joint clarification answering four straightforward questions:

1. What is the maximum approved charge for first-time diaspora NIN enrolment in each region of the world?
2. Does payment for diaspora enrolment include a physical national identity card? If not, why not?
3. Under precisely what circumstances must a Nigerian born before 1992 obtain an NPC Birth Attestation Certificate?
4. What is the complete official cost from application to NIN issuance, physical card and delivery so that Nigerians abroad cannot be subjected to arbitrary additional charges?

The issue is larger than $50, $80 or $160. It is about citizenship, transparency and equal access to national identity. A National Identification Number is the Nigerian state’s mechanism for establishing who we are. Proving that you are Nigerian should not become an unnecessarily expensive journey simply because you live outside Nigeria.

Otunba (Dr) Abdulfalil Abayomi Odunowo
National Chairman, AATSG
Asiwaju Hamed Tinubu Support Group
Sunday 13th September 2026.