The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that more than 2.6 million Nigerians have registered in just two weeks in the ongoing nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The figures were revealed in a statement issued on Tuesday, September 2, 2025, by Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee. The data was released following the Commission’s weekly meeting.
According to Olumekun, the CVR exercise—comprising online pre-registration and in-person registration—has recorded a high level of public interest since its commencement on Monday, August 18, 2025.
“Within just two weeks, the online pre-registration alone has recorded a total of 2,532,062 entries, which reflects a growing level of civic awareness and engagement by Nigerians,” Olumekun said.
According to INEC’s breakdown, the registrants show a healthy gender balance, with 1,218,482 males (48.12%) and 1,313,580 females (51.88%).
A majority of those registering are young people aged between 18 and 34, who accounted for 1,602,484 or 63.29% of the online registrants. In addition, students made up 647,528 or 25.57% of the total figure.
“These numbers confirm that Nigerian youths are showing increased interest in participating in the democratic process, which is encouraging ahead of the 2027 elections,” the Commission stated.
The CVR process is being conducted through a hybrid system that combines online and in-person registration. The online pre-registration, first introduced by INEC in 2021, allows Nigerians to begin the process using the Commission’s digital platform from anywhere in the world and at any time, including weekends.
However, INEC clarified that online registration is not complete until the applicant visits a designated centre to provide their fingerprints and facial biometric data.
“All online pre-registrants are required to appear physically to complete the process in our 811 State and Local Government Area offices nationwide,” Olumekun explained.
He emphasised that without the in-person biometric capture, the online pre-registration remains invalid.
To ensure that citizens without internet access are not left out, INEC has deployed staff to its 811 registration centres across the country. These centres operate Monday to Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
The in-person registration started on Monday, August 25, 2025, and within the first five days (as of Friday, August 29), 72,274 people had registered or completed their online registration.
Out of this number:
35,622 (49.29%) were male
36,652 (50.71%) were female
54,718 (75.71%) were aged between 18 and 34
30,953 (42.83%) were students
The figures once again highlight that young Nigerians are taking the lead in registering to vote, which has been a major focus for electoral awareness groups and civil society organisations in recent years.
INEC has also published detailed state-by-state statistics on registrants, including breakdowns by gender, age, occupation, and disability status, on its official website and social media platforms.
This move is aimed at promoting transparency and encouraging continued participation in the registration process.
The Commission expressed satisfaction with the public’s response and also commended civil society groups, NGOs, and other organisations that have helped mobilise Nigerians to take part in the CVR.
INEC urged all eligible Nigerians who are yet to register, especially those who have recently turned 18 or changed location, to take advantage of the ongoing exercise.
“The CVR is a critical step toward strengthening our democracy. Every Nigerian voice matters, and registering to vote is the first step in making that voice count,” Olumekun said.
As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, the surge in early registration signals a potentially high voter turnout, especially among young people. This trend aligns with recent political movements and campaigns encouraging youths to be more involved in the electoral process.
The CVR exercise is expected to continue in phases, with INEC set to update the public regularly on progress and any changes in procedure.
