The World Bank has approved a two-year extension of Nigeria’s Digital Identity Plan for Development, extending the deadline from December 31, 2024 to December 31, 2026.
This follows the Nigerian government’s request for a three-year extension in May, which was subsequently approved by the World Bank.
The extension gives Nigeria more time to meet its revised target of opening 180 million national accounts.
In its latest report outlining the progress of the study, the World Bank confirmed that Nigeria has made significant progress in its efforts to achieve self-sufficiency, despite falling short of the initial target of NIN 148 million by June 2024.
The extension includes 24 months to ensure that key tasks are completed and targets are met.
“The government has reached this milestone and, on this basis, has agreed to extend Phase II for another 24 months to allow for the completion of key projects and the achievement of the set development goals,” the World Bank said.
It added that it would “extend the deadline for the proposed restructuring from December 31, 2024 to December 31, 2026.”
As of October 2024, the National Identity Management Commission reported that NINs had been issued to 115 million Nigerian citizens and legal residents.
However, inequalities persist, with many still lacking digital IDs, particularly among women, the disabled and the disadvantaged.
This inequality prevents these people from accessing basic government services, participating in the digital economy and benefiting from financial inclusion.
The bank added that the programme has been successful in closing this gap by focusing on the participation of disadvantaged groups.
With an adjusted target of N180 million, the ID4D programme aims to provide more Nigerians with the opportunity to use digital IDs to achieve greater economic success and prosperity. The total financing of the project has reached 430 million US dollars, 115 million US dollars from the World Bank IDA, 100 million US dollars from the French Development Agency, and 215 million US dollars from the European Investment Bank.
