Millions of Nigerians still lack identity despite 67.8m BVN — Expert

Nigeria faces a persistent challenge in bridging its digital identity gap, with millions of citizens remaining outside the country's digital identity ecosystem despite significant progress in the Bank Verification Number (BVN) scheme. Dr. Olalekan Olasiyan, Regional Head of Biometrics for West Africa at Identy.io, has voiced concerns that the current enrollment figures, while growing, are insufficient to encompass the nation's adult population, especially those in rural and informal sectors.

“

Despite the steady rise in BVN enrolment, millions of Nigerians remain outside the identity net, limiting their access to financial services and digital opportunities.

Olasiyan highlighted that the BVN scheme, which registered 67.8 million individuals by December 2025, still leaves a substantial portion of the population unidentified. This exclusion directly impacts their ability to access essential financial services and participate fully in the burgeoning digital economy. The expert stressed that a trusted digital identity is the bedrock of financial inclusion and equitable service delivery, without which fraud can flourish and economic participation remains uneven.

“

The strength of any digital economy hinges on the ability to uniquely identify citizens and residents. Without this, financial inclusion stalls, fraud flourishes, and access to services remains uneven.

The implications of this weak identity coverage are profound, contributing to significant fraud losses within Nigeria's financial system. While improvements in identity verification have led to a decline in fraud figures, the underlying issue of exclusion persists. Olasiyan's call for urgent efforts to expand identity infrastructure to underserved populations, including rural communities, women, and persons with disabilities, underscores the critical link between identity, economic opportunity, and national development. For Nigeria, achieving its digital transformation goals hinges on ensuring that its identity systems are not only secure but also truly inclusive.

“

These figures clearly show that fraud is costly, but also that stronger identity systems can significantly reduce these risks when effectively implemented.