Over 300 independent National Identification Number (NIN) enrolment agents have raised alarm over alleged unpaid commissions, forceful loan recoveries, and what they described as contractual breaches by key stakeholders in Nigeria’s identity enrolment ecosystem.
Addressing journalists at the Nigeria Union of Journalists Press Centre in Iyaganku, Ibadan, on Wednesday, the aggrieved agents said their livelihoods have been severely impacted since 2021 when they were engaged to support the country’s mass identity registration drive.
The agents explained that they were recruited through File Solutions Limited, an accredited Frontend Enrolment Partner (FEP) of the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), with a contractual agreement to receive $1 commission per successful enrolment.
To facilitate their operations, the agents said they secured loans worth over N4.1 million each under the AGSMEIS scheme from NIRSAL Microfinance Bank, with the understanding that repayments would be deducted from their monthly commissions.
However, the agents alleged that after initial payments in April and May 2021, commission payments were halted for several months, creating financial strain. Although arrears for 2021 were eventually paid in March 2022, they claimed that commissions from January 2022 onward remain largely unpaid despite NIMC achieving its enrolment targets.
The group further accused the microfinance bank of initiating aggressive loan recovery actions through the Central Bank’s Global Standing Instruction (GSI) framework, resulting in deductions from their personal accounts, as well as accounts belonging to relatives and business associates.
“We have experienced financial distress, family disputes, and even health challenges due to these indiscriminate recoveries,” the group stated, citing instances where large sums were withdrawn from accounts unrelated to their business operations.
Tensions escalated in October 2023 when NIMC reportedly withdrew the agents’ licences following a revalidation exercise. According to the agents, the licences—acquired using the loan—were revoked before the expiration of their five-year contract, effectively halting their operations.
They also noted that the window-based enrolment devices procured under the loan arrangement were rendered obsolete after NIMC introduced a new Android-based system, leaving them unable to generate income to service the loans.
Despite assurances made in March 2024 during a mediation involving Brekete Family TV that outstanding payments would be cleared, the agents said little progress has been made.
Although partial payments were reportedly made following public outcry in late 2024, the agents argued that the amounts were inadequate and based on outdated exchange rates, further compounding their financial burden.
Efforts to renegotiate loan terms with NIRSAL Microfinance Bank, including a formal meeting in August 2025, have also yielded no concrete outcome, they said, adding that requests for access to their bank statements have not been honored.
The agents are now calling on the Central Bank of Nigeria and other relevant authorities to intervene urgently.
Among their demands are the immediate suspension of GSI-linked recoveries, convening of a stakeholders’ meeting involving all parties, removal of liens placed on their Bank Verification Numbers (BVNs), and outright cancellation or conversion of the loans into grants.
They argued that the situation contradicts the objectives of the AGSMEIS scheme, which is designed to support small and medium enterprises, not expose them to financial ruin.
“We appeal to the conscience of all stakeholders and the Federal Government to ensure a fair and lasting resolution,” the group said.