NIN-enabled farmer registry to enhance Nigeria’s agriculture

The Federal Government has taken a step toward transforming the agricultural landscape by unveiling a National Identity Number (NIN)-enabled farmer registry and Government-to-People (G2P) card initiative. Spearheaded by the Federal  Ministry of Agriculture and Food Securiity (FMAFS) in collaboration with the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), this initiative aims to address longstanding challenges of farmer identification and service delivery.

This ambitious project seeks to enhance transparency, efficiency, and scalability in the agricultural sector by linking each farmer’s NIN to their farmland and associated data. Through biometric verification, the initiative ensures that  government services, such as subsidies, loans, and welfare payments, are directed to the right beneficiaries. The registry will also provide real-time monitoring and tracking of agricultural activities through digital dashboards, fostering accountability in resource allocation.

The G2P card ecosystem is designed to accommodate both banked and unbanked populations, featuring offline capabilities to ensure accessibility in remote areas. Each card offers multiple wallets for seamless transactions and is personalized to support various government programmes. Beyond agricultural services, the initiative promotes financial inclusion by enabling agency banking and other third-party services.

The farmer registry represents a paradigm shift in how the government engages with farmers. By integrating farmland mapping, crop and livestock data, and extension services, the initiative promises to streamline processes across the agricultural value chain. This enhanced visibility will allow the Ministry to scale its programs, eliminate fraud, and ensure end-to-end service delivery.

“NIMC’s role is to provide the ecosystem with foundational biometric identity in the NIN to ensure that the card and its attendant benefits are linked securely and accurately to the beneficiary and the beneficiary only. FMAFS retains their statutory rights and ownership of the data generated.

“With the G2P ecosystem, any programme implemented by the Ministry can now be administered independently and showcased through digitally enabled dashboards displaying key data on how each programme has been efficiently implemented or otherwise.”