INEC kicks off physical voter registration as online figures soar

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced that 1,379,342 Nigerians successfully completed online pre-registration during the first week of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which ran from August 18 to 24, 2025.

The data, published in INEC’s CVR State Pre-Registration Report and shared with journalists on Monday, highlighted strong participation across several states — with Osun and Lagos leading the charge.

Osun State recorded the highest percentage of total registrations at 28.51% (393,269), while Lagos had the highest numerical count with 222,205 registrations, representing 16.11% of the national total. Ogun State followed with 132,823 entries (9.63%), and the Federal Capital Territory recorded 107,682 registrations (7.81%).

Other top-performing states include Kaduna (61,592), Kogi (58,546), Kwara (33,726), and Kebbi (35,009).

In contrast, the South East recorded the lowest numbers, with Ebonyi reporting just 261 registrations, followed by Enugu (484) and Imo (481). Abia had 772, while Anambra was not listed separately in the report.

The physical phase of the registration kicked off on Monday nationwide, with INEC urging both new applicants and online pre-registrants to visit designated centers for biometric capture.

The commission confirmed that the CVR process includes, new voter registration, transfers within or across states, replacement of lost/damaged voter cards and Personal data updates

Registration runs from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m., Mondays to Fridays, at 811 centres, including all 774 Local Government Area offices across Nigeria.

INEC reiterated that only Nigerian citizens aged 18 and above who have never registered before are eligible for new registrations. The commission has also made arrangements to support persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.

For convenience, the INEC portal (www.cvr.inecnigeria.org) remains open for services including pre-registration, checking PVC status, locating centers, and making corrections.