By Fatima Saka
The Senate Committee on National Population and National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) on Wednesday raised concerns over the poor release of capital funds to the National Identity Management Commission, questioning why only N1.5 billion out of N25.6 billion appropriated for 2025 was accessed by the agency.
Chairman of the Committee, Victor Umeh, presided over the budget defence session where the Director-General/Chief Executive Officer of NIMC, Abisoye Coker-Odusote, presented the commission’s 2025 budget performance and 2026 estimates.
Presenting the 2025 performance report, Coker-Odusote disclosed that while the commission recorded 100 per cent release and expenditure of its N15.1 billion personnel allocation, only 58 per cent of its N749.4 million overhead budget was released.
She further revealed that out of the N25.6 billion capital allocation, only N1.5 billion—about six per cent—was released at the tail end of December and subsequently withdrawn within 24 to 48 hours.
The total approved budget for 2025 stood at N41.5 billion, but only N17.59 billion, representing 41 per cent, was released.
Committee members expressed dissatisfaction with what they described as an alarming underfunding of capital projects in an agency critical to national security, financial inclusion, and identity management.
Committee noted that the DG appeared “ashamed” to calculate the percentage of capital release, stressing that 5.5 per cent performance was unacceptable for an agency with nationwide responsibilities.
Another lawmaker questioned why the N1.5 billion released was left unutilized, to which the DG explained that the funds were received late in December and returned to the government coffers before procurement processes could commence.
According to her, the commission requires a warrant from the Office of the Accountant-General of the Federation before initiating procurement, adding that her team is actively engaging the Ministry of Finance to recover the funds.
The committee advised the DG to promptly notify lawmakers whenever capital releases are delayed, assuring that the Senate could summon relevant finance authorities to explain the bottlenecks.
Despite funding challenges, the DG highlighted key operational strides, including the commencement of ward-level enrolment across 8,809 wards nationwide, aimed at deepening National Identification Number (NIN) registration in line with presidential directives.
She disclosed that the enrolment exercise began on February 16 and is being conducted in collaboration with the National Orientation Agency to enhance grassroots awareness.
On internally generated revenue, Coker-Odusote said the commission recorded its highest earnings to date in 2025, largely driven by real-time identity verification services for banks, telecommunications firms, and other institutions.
She explained that verification services have significantly reduced identity fraud in the financial sector, while modification services—such as updates to personal data—also generate revenue, though enrolment remains free for Nigerians.
Commending the DG’s leadership, the committee acknowledged improvements in revenue generation and reforms but emphasized the need for stronger public engagement and sustained innovation.
The committee also reviewed NIMC’s 2026 budget proposal of N37.1 billion, comprising N18.4 billion for personnel, N749.4 million for overhead, and N17.94 billion for capital expenditure.
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Coker-Odusote attributed the N3 billion increase in personnel costs to the presidential directive mandating a 25 to 35 per cent salary increment across Ministries, Departments and Agencies.
While applauding the commission’s efforts, the Senate insisted that without adequate capital funding, NIMC’s mandate to provide a reliable national identity database would remain significantly constrained.
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