The Federal Government says it is building a registry of farmers across Nigeria by linking the provision of grants and other resources to their respective National Identification Number (NIN) under plans to boost the agriculture sector.
The Federal Ministry of Agriculture and Food Security (FMAFS) and the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) which disclosed the plan have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to launch the NIN-enabled Farmer Registry hoped to improve service delivery in the agriculture sector in Nigeria.
According to NIMC, Nigeria’s identity management agency, the initiative will leverage the NIN to create a comprehensive database of farmers across the country. The database will support the implementation of the Government-to-People (G2P) card, ensuring direct delivery of subsidies, grants, and other resources to farmers.
NIMC: NIN-linked farmers’ registry to support G2P card
According to NIMC, Nigeria’s identity management agency, the initiative will leverage the NIN to create a comprehensive database of farmers across the country. The database will support the implementation of the Government-to-People (G2P) card, ensuring direct delivery of subsidies, grants, and other resources to farmers.
“This initiative aims to streamline farmers registration and create a comprehensive database for them, ensuring accurate and efficient delivery of agricultural services,” NIMC says.
According to the World Bank, Nigeria piloted an Urban Cash Transfer Programme in 2021, leveraging AI-driven poverty maps and USSD codes to enable efficient beneficiary identification and self-registration. The programme used mobile wallets and bank accounts to distribute funds, overcoming barriers such as limited documentation through tiered Know-Your-Customer (KYC) rules.
Nigeria, home to over 220 million people, relies heavily on agriculture. “Agriculture contributed 25.01% to nominal GDP in the third quarter of 2024. This figure was lower than the rate recorded in the third quarter of 2023 and higher than the second quarter of 2024 which recorded 26.36% and 18.54% respectively,” according to the National Bureau of Statistics (NBS). Despite its potential, the sector faces challenges, including limited access to funding, high post-harvest losses, and inefficiencies in subsidy distribution.
Government-to-Person (G2P) systems, as defined by the World Bank, are mechanisms that allow governments to deliver monetary benefits directly to individuals through digital platforms. These systems rely on foundational elements like national ID systems, digital payment infrastructure, and comprehensive social registries to ensure accurate and transparent delivery of assistance.
“The presence of widely held IDs, comprehensive social registries, interoperable digital payment systems, and clear data-sharing protocols all enable governments to deliver G2P payments more efficiently,” the World Bank states in a report.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, countries across Sub-Saharan Africa, including Nigeria, used G2P systems to support vulnerable urban households and informal workers.
According to the World Bank, Nigeria piloted an Urban Cash Transfer Programme in 2021, leveraging AI-driven poverty maps and USSD codes to enable efficient beneficiary identification and self-registration. The programme used mobile wallets and bank accounts to distribute funds, overcoming barriers such as limited documentation through tiered Know-Your-Customer (KYC) rules.
This initiative builds on Nigeria’s broader efforts to digitize its economy. NIMC’s enrolment figures as at January 11, 2025 currently stand at over 114.5 million unique records, according to information obtained from its website.
The Farmer Registry could serve as a model for integrating digital identity systems into other sectors, from healthcare to education.
NIMC says that this project is designed “towards enhancing the livelihoods of Nigerian farmers.”
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