Despite Reforms, NIMC’s Digital Transformation Being Undermined by Rogue Agents

By Emiola Osifeso

Fresh allegations of corruption have again rocked the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) as some of its agents in Abuja have been accused of extorting applicants desperate to falsify their dates of birth on the National Identification Number (NIN) database. Despite recent reforms announced by the agency, reports indicate that the criminal practice has become widespread, with applicants willing to part with huge sums of money just to manipulate their records for official purposes.

Several applicants who spoke to Nairametrics alleged that NIMC agents and their intermediaries now charge between N45,000 and N55,000 to alter birth details, particularly for those seeking to beat strict age requirements attached to federal government job opportunities, military enlistment, and other sensitive public service processes. This is despite the commission having officially reviewed the correction fee earlier in the year to N28,574, up from the previous N16,340.

In the Federal Capital Territory, particularly in satellite towns and densely populated areas where oversight is weak, the practice is said to be rampant. Applicants desperate for opportunities in paramilitary agencies such as Immigration, the Fire Service, and the Correctional Service are the primary targets. The extortion, according to testimonies, has become a structured underground business where age manipulation is sold like a commodity.

Johnson, a 45-year-old e-hailing driver in Abuja, admitted to paying heavily to alter his records in the hope of securing employment in a federal agency. “I applied for a Fire Service job earlier this year, but I didn’t meet the age requirement. So, I went to a NIMC agent in Wuse to change my date of birth. I paid N45,000. If I get a federal government job, this one will just be a side hustle,” he said, stressing that he was only doing what others had already succeeded with.

Another applicant, Allen, who works as a contract staff at a government agency but is seeking a more secure role, narrated her experience of how the system has been compromised. “The official charge for correction of date of birth is supposed to follow strict procedures. Once you pay the right amount to them, the system will be adjusted. I know many people who did it and are currently working. If you try to cut your age by about five or ten years, the system will not allow it. But these agents always have their ways,” she revealed.

Tunde, a fresh NYSC graduate, told a similar story. He said officials warned him that reducing his age by up to ten years would not pass through the official process but could still be done for a fee. “They told me it will not be approved officially, but if I really want it, there is a way to manage it,” he recounted.

But it is not only NIMC insiders who are profiting from the desperation of job seekers. Cybercafé operators accredited by NIMC have also entrenched themselves in the racket. At a café in Wuse, an operator named Lucky explained why many applicants prefer backdoor solutions. “Many people don’t have the patience to see through the process. They want it done fast, fast. If you want to reduce your age by 4–5 years, you get charged a different price than if you want to reduce by 10 years or more, because the system will flag it quicker,” he disclosed.

Another operator at Wuse Zone 6, identified as Cynthia Eno, openly bragged about her ability to get any modification done. “If you want to get anything from NIN to NYSC, just come here. You just need to pay me for my leg walk,” she said. Asked further about how she manages to achieve this, she replied: “In Nigeria, once you know people in big offices, you will always have your way. There is nothing like ‘no network’ here. If you can do NIN by yourself on your phone, why do you think we are still in business? I know many people in their [NIMC office] who can get me anything.”

During the reporter’s time at the café, the operator attended to two separate cases of NIN modifications on the spot. At one point, a woman seeking to correct her daughter’s date of birth for university admission was told that an “express service” was available. The woman, however, hesitated over the high charge, which this reporter could not fully confirm. She explained that the error had occurred during her daughter’s initial NIN registration and was only discovered when the details were needed for the 2025 UTME.

In May 2025, NIMC announced an upward review of its official correction fees, including raising the cost of correcting the date of birth on the NIN database to N28,574. The Commission cited operational costs and international standards as justification. It also introduced a so-called “premium service” in exclusive lounges and visa centres, charging N20,000 for expedited enrolment and N3,500 for NIN slip re-issuance. But instead of bringing order to the system, these changes appear to have opened new avenues for exploitation, with agents and their accomplices exploiting the desperation and ignorance of applicants.

When confronted with the allegations, NIMC’s Head of Corporate Communications, Kayode Adegoke, flatly denied any involvement of its staff in the racket. “We don’t do physical modifications again. Modifications are done online by the applicants themselves. The approved fees are on our website. Whoever is saying ‘I want to reduce my age and they are collecting N45,000 from me’ is a pure lie because nobody in our office will do modification for you. If you go somewhere and ask somebody to help you, both the giver and receiver of the bribe are guilty under the law,” he said.

Earlier this year, NIMC’s Director-General, Mrs. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, claimed that corruption within the agency’s enrolment process had been reduced by at least 40 percent. She said new monitoring systems and reforms were being implemented to eliminate extortion. In August, the Commission also rolled out fresh guidelines for its self-service portal, stressing that once an applicant creates an account on the portal, access is restricted to the browser and device used for registration to ensure data security.

Despite these assurances, evidence on the ground suggests otherwise. Reports of illegal charges, testimonies from desperate applicants, and the boldness of cybercafé operators openly profiting from backdoor access show that NIMC’s enrolment and correction process remains vulnerable to corruption. The growing scandal now raises questions about the integrity of Nigeria’s identity management system and the extent of institutional rot in agencies tasked with sensitive national assignments.

The revelations add to the long list of corruption allegations in government institutions, where citizens are forced to pay bribes for services that are supposed to be simple, transparent, and accessible. For many Nigerians, the NIN, touted as a cornerstone of national data management, is already tainted by the corruption of those entrusted with administering it.