More than 2.6 million Nigerians have registered online and in person within two weeks of the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) said.
The figures, released in a statement by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, show 2,532,062 online registrations and 72,274 in-person applications between August 18 and August 31, 2025.
“Youths between 18 and 34 years dominate the numbers with 1,602,484 registrations, or 63.29 percent, while students account for 647,528, or 25.57 percent,” Olumekun said. He added that 48.12 percent of applicants were male and 51.88 percent female.
The in-person registration, which began on August 25, has so far recorded 72,274 applications in just five days, with 75.71 percent of applicants aged 18 to 34. Students represented 42.83 percent.
Olumekun noted that many Nigerians without access to online facilities were opting for the physical centres. “The centres are open from 9.00am to 3.00pm daily, Monday to Friday. The list and addresses of the centres have already been made public,” he said.
INEC stressed that online pre-registration is not valid unless completed in person at one of its 811 designated state and local government offices.
“The introduction of the pre-registration option in 2021 has enabled Nigerians to commence the process online from anywhere in the world, 24 hours a day including weekends. However, all online pre-registrants must appear physically to complete the process where their fingerprints and facial biometrics will be captured. This instruction is clearly stated on the online portal,” Olumekun explained.
Registrants who complete the process receive a Temporary Voter Card (TVC), which is later exchanged for a Permanent Voter Card (PVC).
INEC said PVCs do not expire and warned against double registration, noting that the CVR is only open to Nigerians aged 18 and above who are not already registered voters. Transfers between states and replacements for lost or damaged cards are also allowed.
The Commission added that detailed state-by-state figures have been uploaded to its website for public access.
So far, more than 87 million PVCs have already been collected nationwide, with Lagos leading the pack.
