The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) has deployed application for the pilot phase of enrolment of minors in all the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory, Abuja.
This is another phase of the National Identity Management System (NIMS), which will enable every citizen, including children from ages zero to fifteen, to be enrolled and issued the National Identification Number (NIN).

Before now, the Commission only issued the NIN to citizens and legal residents aged 16 years and above.
With the commencement of the nationwide pilot programme, children can be enrolled and issued the National Identification Number (NIN) even from birth, upon successful enrolment into the National Identity Database.
It is however mandatory for parents or guardians of the minor to have enrolled for the NIN, this is because the system essentially links the NIN of the minor to that of his/her parent or guardian until the minor attains the 16 years mark.
Upon attaining the age of 16, he/ she would be required to visit any of the NIMC enrolment centres nationwide to update his/her registration. It is at this stage that the National e-ID Card will be processed and subsequently issued to such individual.

This policy will ensure that the NIN of the minor is linked with that of the parent or guardian, until their biometric features become fully developed. It will help to retain the comprehensive family database and at the same time make it easy for government to trace every citizen to a family unit.

The enrollment process consists of the recording of an individual demographic data and capture of the 10 fingerprints and head-to shoulder facial picture which are all used to cross check existing data in the national identity database to confirm that there is no previous entry of the same data or double enrollment before the NIN is issued. The enrolment of minors can be done at any of the NIMC enrolment offices Nationwide and it is free of charge.