Dr. Olalekan Olasiyan, Regional Head of Biometrics for West Africa at Identy.io, has raised concerns over Nigeria’s widening identity gap, warning that millions of citizens remain excluded from the country’s digital identification system despite increasing enrollment in the Bank Verification Number (BVN) programme.
In a statement issued Wednesday, Olasiyan revealed that BVN registrations grew by 6.8 per cent year-on-year, rising from 63.5 million in 2024 to 67.8 million as of December 2025. However, he noted that the figures still fall short of capturing Nigeria’s full adult population, leaving a significant number of people—particularly in rural and informal sectors—without formal identification.
“Millions of Nigerians remain outside the identity net, limiting their access to financial services and digital opportunities, despite the steady increase in BVN enrollment,” he said.
He stressed that verified digital identity remains critical to financial inclusion, efficient service delivery, and broader economic participation, warning that the existing gap poses a major challenge to Nigeria’s ambition of building a robust digital economy.
“The ability to uniquely identify individuals is central to any digital economy. Without it, fraud thrives, financial inclusion stagnates, and unequal access to services persists,” he added.
Olasiyan linked weak identity coverage to financial system vulnerabilities, noting that fraud losses through digital channels rose to ₦52.26 billion in 2024 before declining to ₦25.85 billion in 2025, following improvements in data standards and identity verification systems.
“These figures clearly show how costly fraud can be, but also demonstrate that stronger identity systems can significantly reduce risks when effectively implemented,” he said.
He called for urgent expansion of Nigeria’s identity infrastructure to underserved groups, including rural populations, women, and persons with disabilities, noting that exclusion from identity systems directly translates to exclusion from economic opportunities.
Beyond financial services, he observed that identity gaps also hinder access to healthcare, social interventions, and government programmes.
Nigeria’s Digital Public Infrastructure, anchored on the National Identification Number (NIN) and managed by the National Identity Management Commission, has so far captured over 121 million residents. However, Olasiyan emphasized the need to reach the remaining population, particularly those in low-connectivity areas.
“Identity systems must be both inclusive and secure. The promise of digital transformation cannot be fully realised if millions remain excluded,” he said.
Highlighting technological solutions, Olasiyan pointed to innovations by Identy.io, including contactless, on-device biometric authentication that enables identity verification without storing sensitive data in central databases, thereby reducing the risk of breaches.
He noted that such solutions align with Nigeria’s adoption of the Modular Open Source Identity Platform (MOSIP), being implemented by the National Identity Management Commission with support from the World Bank under its $430 million ID4D programme.
According to him, deploying modern biometric technologies could help reduce fraud, strengthen trust in digital platforms, and expand access to financial services for previously excluded populations.
Olasiyan also underscored the importance of offline-capable and widely accessible smartphone technologies, particularly for rural communities where internet connectivity remains limited.
“Bridging Nigeria’s identity gap requires solutions that are not only secure but also accessible, regardless of location or connectivity,” he said.
While Nigeria continues to rank among Africa’s leading digital economies, driven by rapid growth in fintech, mobile adoption, and digital services, experts warn that these gains may remain uneven and unsustainable without a comprehensive and inclusive identity system.
Olasiyan concluded that closing the identity gap is essential to reducing fraud, boosting public confidence, and unlocking the full potential of Nigeria’s digital economy.