By Peter Omopo
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says over 4.4 million Nigerians have pre-registered online in the ongoing nationwide voter registration exercise, which began on August 18, 2025.
INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Sam Olumekun, disclosed this in a statement on Monday.
“As of Sunday, 14th September 2025, a total of 4,445,505 Nigerians have now pre-registered online in four weeks since the commencement of the exercise,” Olumekun said.
According to the breakdown, 2,141,294 (48.17%) are male while 2,304,211 (51.83%) are female. Young Nigerians remain the dominant group, with 2,924,643 (65.79%) between ages 18 and 34. Students account for 1,112,344 (25.02%) of the total.
Osun, Lagos, Borno Top the List
Osun State leads the exercise with 552,045 entries, followed by Lagos with 488,523, and Borno with 439,426. Other strong performers include Ogun (396,799), Kebbi (287,059), Kaduna (240,357), Kogi (218,397), and the Federal Capital Territory with 213,732.
Meanwhile, states such as Ebonyi (4,024), Abia (3,532), and Enugu (1,839) recorded the lowest figures nationwide.
Completed Registrations Top 509,000
INEC also confirmed that as of September 12, 2025, the total number of completed registrations — combining online and in-person — stands at 509,929. Out of this, 229,758 (45.06%) are male, 280,171 (54.94%) are female, while 378,132 (74.15%) are youths aged 18–34. Students make up 196,529 (38.54%) of the total.
Regional Disparities Spark Concern
While the South-West continues to dominate registration, Borno has stood out in the North with over 439,000 pre-registrations. However, some populous states, including Kano (113,547), have lagged behind. Stakeholders in the North have launched mobilisation drives through community leaders, religious groups, and civil society organisations to boost participation, particularly in rural areas.
FCT Online Registration Ends Today
INEC also announced that online pre-registration in the Federal Capital Territory ends today, September 15, 2025. For the next two weeks, registration will be conducted only in person at designated centres, before the process is devolved to all 62 wards in the FCT from September 29 to October 8.
Detailed addresses of the centres, INEC said, have been uploaded to its official platforms.
