Nigeria Seeks Third Extension for Digital ID Project

Nigeria is requesting a one-year extension for its $430 million digital identity project, aiming to complete it by December 31, 2027, after failing to meet key implementation targets. This marks the project's third extension since February 2020, when financing was approved to enhance access to secure national identification.

Originally set for completion in June 2024, the project has already received extensions totaling 30 months, which would increase to 42 months with the new request. Of the total financing, approximately $234 million has been disbursed, while $196 million remains undisbursed.

As of September 30, around 121 million Nigerians had received National Identification Numbers, falling short of the target of 180 million. The World Bank estimates that monthly issuance must rise from 1.5 million to 3.9 million to meet this goal.

Implementation issues persist, including delays in payments to registration partners, complicating efforts to accelerate registration activities.