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Nigeria’s Identity Crisis: When Anyone Can Become a Citizen for ₦500
Nigeria is projected to have over 237 million people by 2025. In a country of that size, it is crucial to know who belongs and who does not. The National Identity Number (NIN) was introduced as a way to establish this. It was meant to help with security, access to government services, and planning for the future. However, the truth is that obtaining a NIN in Nigeria has become so easy and poorly regulated that it now raises serious questions about national identity, security, and the country’s future.
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) says it has registered over 120 million Nigerians. This sounds like progress. But the system has deep flaws. There are regular reports of people being able to register without valid documents. There are cases where non-Nigerians register by simply paying ₦500 to agents who are willing to look the other way. This creates a serious gap in identity control. Once someone gets a NIN, they can open a bank account, get a SIM card, register for government programs, and even apply for a passport. There have also been insider breaches and technical weaknesses that make the system vulnerable to fraud and misuse.
Nigeria shares long and largely uncontrolled borders with countries like Cameroon, Chad, and Niger. Of more than 4,000 known crossing points, only about 91 are officially recognized and managed by immigration services. This means that thousands of entry routes are wide open. Many of those who cross into Nigeria illegally do not stop at the border. They go straight to NIN enrollment centres where they can register with little resistance. Some even get support from locals or corrupt officials. Once registered, they gain access to everything meant only for citizens.
This situation directly fuels the country’s worsening insecurity. Armed groups operating in the northwest and other regions have grown bolder. They kidnap, extort, and move weapons with ease. Without reliable identification systems, law enforcement cannot effectively track or stop them. In many cases, these criminals are hard to distinguish from regular citizens because the systems meant to keep non-citizens out are not working. As long as anyone can register and blend into the population, it becomes almost impossible to know who is behind the violence or where they are from.
The bigger problem is not just about documents. It is about the idea of what it means to be Nigerian. If anyone can buy their way into the system, does citizenship still have meaning? Can we still claim to be a united nation when identity has become this loose?
This question becomes even more important when it comes to things like elections, where citizenship and identity are supposed to matter. In past elections, reports have shown that voter registers sometimes include names of people who cannot be verified. Insecurity has also made it hard to conduct accurate census counts. When budgeting and development plans are based on false numbers, how can any progress be real?
Nigeria’s leaders often talk about security and development, but their actions show a lack of seriousness. Despite huge budget allocations to security and border control, the situation keeps getting worse. Instead of fixing the problems, some in government act as if they do not exist. This silence is dangerous.
The African Continental Free Trade Agreement (AfCFTA) and ECOWAS free movement protocols depend on each country having strong internal systems. Nigeria cannot continue to be the weak link. If the country does not tighten its identity and security systems, it will be exposed to even greater threats in the future, including economic sabotage, election manipulation, and international embarrassment.
The task of knowing who a Nigerian truly is should not be this difficult. It should not be possible for someone to walk in from another country, pay a small amount, and become a citizen. The current system makes it too easy and too cheap to pretend to be Nigerian. Until this is addressed, Nigeria will continue to struggle with insecurity, poor planning, and lack of trust in government. The country must stop pretending that things are under control and start doing the hard work of building a serious identity system. This is not just about paperwork. It is about survival.
