Nigeria’s National Register of Voters has risen to more than 103 million, ahead of the 2027 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Monday during a strategic workshop for editors in Abuja.
He said the increase followed the conclusion of the commission’s three-phase Continuous Voter Registration exercise, which recorded 10,772,421 new registrations. The commission subsequently completed its final biometric verification and cleaning of the voters’ register using the Automated Biometric Identification System.
Amupitan also announced that nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards will begin on Friday, October 9, 2026. He urged Nigerians who registered during the exercise to collect their cards ahead of the 2027 elections.
According to INEC, the first phase of the registration exercise recorded more than 2.6 million new voters, while the second phase added over 4.1 million. The third phase contributed nearly 3.9 million new registrations.
The commission has also introduced printable PVC technology, which is expected to reduce the waiting period for voters receiving new or replacement cards.
Beyond voter registration, INEC said it is continuing to improve election technology, including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), as part of efforts to strengthen the credibility and transparency of the 2027 elections.
The commission also appealed to the media and other stakeholders to help educate Nigerians about the PVC collection process and combat misinformation ahead of the elections.
With the voter register now exceeding 103 million and PVC collection set to begin nationwide on October 9, attention is turning to voter participation and INEC’s preparations for the 2027 polls.
