The Transformative Governance Forum (TGF) has called on the Federal Government to end what it described as discriminatory charges and cumbersome procedures for Nigerians living abroad to obtain their National Identification Numbers (NIN).
In a statement issued by its Strategic Communications Directorate on Friday, September 25, 2026, the group urged the government to empower Nigerian diplomatic missions that already issue international passports to also provide NIN enrolment services directly.
The Forum said Nigerians in the diaspora face a multi-step process for obtaining NIN, which it claimed is largely free for citizens in Nigeria.
It cited reports of charges of about €145 in some parts of Europe and a case in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire, where a Nigerian was reportedly charged 20,000 CFA, said to be about ₦44,000, for NIN enrolment at the embassy.
TGF said the Abidjan matter had been brought before the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offences Commission (ICPC).
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The group argued that the Nigeria Immigration Service (NIS) already provides passport services directly through Nigerian missions abroad using biometric systems and trained personnel.
It therefore proposed that NIN enrolment should be integrated into the same infrastructure.
The Forum also called for a single and clearly published fee structure for diaspora NIN registration, reduced reliance on private agents and the deployment of mobile registration units to major Nigerian diaspora centres, including London, Frankfurt, Houston and Johannesburg.
TGF Commends NIMC Consolidation
The group also commended the Federal Government for placing the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) under the Ministry of Interior.
NIMC currently operates under the Ministry of Interior alongside the Nigeria Immigration Service and other agencies.
TGF said the arrangement was consistent with its earlier position that identity management should be closely linked with immigration, citizenship and internal security.
The Forum also welcomed the signing of the NIMC Act 2026, which replaced the previous 2007 law and provides a new legal framework for the Commission. President Bola Tinubu signed the legislation in June 2026.
The latest available figures from NIMC indicate that more than 137 million Nigerians had been enrolled in the National Identification Number database by July 2026.
TGF said the progress demonstrated the value of institutional consolidation, while stressing that more reforms were still required.
Group Seeks Centralised Civic Registration
The Forum renewed its call for birth and death registration, as well as other civic registration functions, to be transferred to the Ministry of Interior.
It argued that bringing those functions together with NIMC and immigration services would create a more coordinated identity system.
According to the group, the current arrangement, where identity management and birth registration are handled by different institutions, could create duplication and difficulties in maintaining consistent records.
TGF said birth registration should form the starting point of a citizen's identity record rather than having identity management begin years later when a person applies for a NIN.
It also argued that the National Population Commission (NPC) should be allowed to concentrate on census and population data.
“We commended the first step. We are still waiting on the second,” the Forum said, urging the government to complete what it described as the wider consolidation of Nigeria's civic registration system.
TGF said its proposals on diaspora NIN services and centralised civic registration were part of a broader call for an identity system that is accessible, coordinated and consistent for Nigerians both at home and abroad.
The Transformative Governance Forum describes itself as a Nigerian grassroots movement of social and welfare democrats supporting the Tinubu-Shettima administration and advocating policy positions on governance, welfare and national development.
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