New Charges, Old Concerns: The Price of Accessing Your Identity Just Went Up
By IDNN Public Policy Desk
📍 Published: Friday, May 2, 2025
Effective Friday, the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) introduced a revised tariff for core identity services, including modifications, card replacements, and print updates—with some fees tripled overnight.
A modification of name, once free or capped at ₦500, now costs up to ₦5,000, while card re-issuance hits ₦10,000 in some locations.
“We’re trying to modernize the system,” NIMC spokesperson Anthony Obayomi told IDNN.
“These new rates will fund improved infrastructure and better turnaround time for services.”
But the move has triggered national outrage, with civil rights groups accusing the agency of penalizing poor Nigerians just to clean up its inefficiencies.
‘Insult to Injury’ Amid Inflation and Unemployment
The announcement comes as Nigerians grapple with record-high inflation (33.2%), a weakened naira, and widespread subsidy shocks.
“You don’t introduce new costs when people are already skipping meals,” said Idayat Hassan of the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD).
“Digital identity is a right, not a luxury. NIMC’s move is reckless and elitist.”
Several citizens took to X (formerly Twitter) to express disbelief.
“I need NIN to open a bank account, get my PVC, or apply for NYSC. So what now—pay to exist?” one user wrote.
The Nigerian Labour Congress (NLC) has condemned the hike and is reportedly seeking legal review.
🏛️ Where’s the Oversight? Ministry of Interior Yet to Speak
Despite the scale of backlash, the Federal Ministry of Interior, which supervises NIMC, has remained silent.
Analysts say the lack of public consultation or regulatory hearing before implementing the price hike violates the Public Procurement and Services Act, and raises questions about the agency’s governance structure.
“No National Assembly approval. No public debate. This sets a dangerous precedent,” said Barr. Funmi Sosan, a Lagos-based legal analyst.
Several House Committee members on Digital Identity & Data are now calling for an emergency hearing next week.
📉 Digital Transformation at Whose Expense?
Nigeria’s push toward e-governance, smart ID systems, and digital services depends heavily on NIN enrolment and authentication.
The World Bank-funded ID4D project, which supports NIMC’s infrastructure, recommends free or subsidized access to foundational ID services, especially in developing economies.
“Charging ₦10,000 for a card in rural Zamfara is not modernization—it’s exclusion,” said ID4D Africa Director Paulo Maldini (in a report to the African ID Conference, Kigali 2024).
The new policy risks reversing progress in national digital coverage, which still lags at 57% NIN uptake as of March 2025.
🔚 Will the Policy Hold? Or Buckle Under Pressure?
With mounting political pressure, legal scrutiny, and rising public resistance, observers say NIMC may be forced to pause, revise, or clarify the hike in coming days.
But until then, millions of Nigerians needing an ID to work, vote, or access social services may find themselves priced out of their own identity.
“We’re not asking for handouts,” said Lagos resident Bisi Adegboye.
“We’re asking to be seen by our own country without having to pay for it.”
📩 Feedback, reactions, or policy briefs? Reach out: digitalrights@idnn.com.ng
