The sun beats down on Mrs. Ebun Aikpokpo’s wooden grocery stall in Ehor village, Edo State, as she stares at the lifeless blue POS device in her hand. For the third time this week, failed internet connectivity has robbed her of customer payments. “Some just go elsewhere,” she whispers, the weariness in her voice echoing across rural Nigeria where 40% lack the foundational identification needed to access e-government services. Just miles away, cassava farmer Francis Ikharo clutches a mobile phone like an alien artifact. The N25,000 NG-Cares relief fund meant to sustain his family might as well be on the moon—without network coverage or digital identity, his government support exists only in theory.
This isn’t just about technology. It’s about dignity. As Nigeria’s digital payments hit a staggering ₦1.07 quadrillion in 2024, a parallel reality unfolds: 64 million unbanked adults, predominantly rural dwellers, watch from the sidelines. The National Identification Number (NIN)—that 11-digit key to healthcare, social grants, and financial inclusion—remains inaccessible to 20 million rural Nigerians according to Dr. Bosun Tijani, Minister of Communications. Identity accessibility isn’t bureaucratic paperwork; it’s the bridge between citizens and survival.
The Identity Desert – Mapping the Exclusion Crisis
The statistics paint a landscape of institutional isolation: Broadband penetration stands at 45.61% nationally, yet rural zones languish at near-zero connectivity. The Nigerian Communications Commission confirms the “vast majority in rural areas” miss 70% 2025 coverage targets. The gender canyon reveals 60% of rural women lack mobile internet access versus 29% nationally. In patriarchal strongholds, women spend 13 hours daily on unpaid care work—leaving 3 hours for all learning, self-care, and digital engagement. The ID paradox shows that of 101 million NIN enrollments, women comprise just 44%.
| Indicator | Rural | Urban |
|---|---|---|
| Broadband Access | <20% | ~80% |
| Women’s Mobile Internet | 60% lack access | 29% lack access |
| NIN Enrollment Gender Gap | 56% female | 44% female |
| Unbanked Population | 64 million adults | Primarily urban |
Cassava farmer Baba Adefemi in Ondo State embodies this crisis. When FADAMA NG-Cares funds flowed through digital wallets, he stood empty-handed: “I don’t have the phone they use; I don’t even know how to use the code they talk about.” His exclusion isn’t accidental—it’s systemic.
Roots of Exclusion – Why Identity Remains Locked
Infrastructure Necrosis
In Karaworo village, Kogi State, Patience Ogah’s POS machine gathers dust. “Frequent power cuts made it nearly unusable,” she explains. Customers now curse her for “cheating” when networks fail. This infrastructure necrosis stems from tower deserts where only 7,000 federal towers target underserved areas by end-2025—against 90,000 km of needed national fibre. Energy starvation affects 43% of rural Nigerians who lack grid access. Solar alternatives remain scarce despite REA initiatives. POS agent Idowu Ajayi climbs trees in Ondo State to hang SIM cards—a desperate metaphor for connectivity gaps.
Policy Sabotage & Economic Exclusion
Telecom giants avoid rural zones not by choice, but calculus. ALTON Chairman Gbenga Adebayo exposes the poison: “Subnational right-of-way charges hit ₦8,500 per meter versus federal ₦145 recommendations. State governments say: That’s your Abuja approval; we have our rules.” This regulatory chaos creates “investment poison.” When ROI projections dip, operators prioritize Lagos over Lokoja.
The Literacy Trap
Digital illiteracy compounds technical barriers. As 55-year-old farmers rely on urban nephews for money transfers, e-gov portals drown users in jargon: “NIN/BVN requirements lock out those unfamiliar with codes they talk about.” For women juggling 13-hour unpaid workdays, learning digital skills becomes a luxury.
Consequences – When Identity Barriers Fuel Poverty
Exclusion isn’t passive—it actively impoverishes: Ghosted by government where NG-Cares funds, COVID palliatives, and conditional cash transfers vaporize before reaching ID-less citizens. Francis Ikharo’s phantom ₦25,000 epitomizes this evaporation. Financial paralysis occurs because no ID means no transaction trails. Without credit histories, loans vanish—trapping smallholders in exploitative middleman economies. Trust erosion happens as each failed POS transaction breeds suspicion. Patience Ogah laments: “Customers think I cheat them.” When the state’s touchpoints fail, legitimacy crumbles. Service blackouts mean teachers miss salaries; clinics reject patients without digital verification.
Rural women bear the deepest scars. Denied ID, they forfeit bank accounts, land titles, and mobile wallets—cementing dependence on spouses. Research confirms: Women earning less than husbands lose 73% of financial decision-making autonomy.
Pathways to Inclusion – Building Identity Bridges
Infrastructure Justice
Solutions must match Nigeria’s rugged realities: Deploy USSD/SMS authentication and solar-powered kiosks like Rwanda’s off-grid hubs. India’s modular Digital Public Infrastructure blueprint offers a replicable model. Implement tower diplomacy by enforcing unified ₦145/m RoW fees and incentivizing rural tower deployment via tax breaks. Create energy hybrids by pairing broadband expansion with REA solar initiatives—powering POS devices where grids fail.
Policy & Governance Shifts
Dispatch NIMC vans to remote villages. In Kano, using mosques as temporary enrollment centers circumvented gender barriers. Issue QR-coded laminated IDs scannable without networks—Kenya’s Huduma Namba cards prove this works. Harmonize laws by adopting the AU’s Digital ID Interoperability Framework while embedding GDPR-grade privacy safeguards.
Literacy Revolution
Develop Hausa/Yoruba/Igbo audio tutorials guiding illiterate users through e-gov portals. Train POS operators as community digital ambassadors—rewarding referrals to NIMC services. Implement gender-targeted upskilling following Tech Herfrica’s model: Equip women with phones plus training, linking them to urban markets via WhatsApp.
| Timeline | Key Milestones | Impact |
|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 7,000 federal towers operational; NIN drives in 100 high-exclusion LGAs | 30% rural broadband coverage |
| 2026 | Offline e-ID pilots in 3 states; 50% LGAs in “digital local gov” network | 60% female enrollment growth |
| 2027 | 85% broadband coverage; ID-free tier for basic services; AU interoperability live | 2.5% GDP boost via inclusion |
Reclaiming Visibility – The Unfinished Bridge
Identity accessibility transcends technology—it’s the difference between existing and belonging. As Nigeria races toward e-gov targets, it must heed voices like Mrs. Aikpokpo’s flickering POS and Francis Ikharo’s phantom funds. The solution isn’t urban-centric platforms but rural-first design: solar-powered, voice-enabled, and offline-functional.
Rwanda proves it’s possible: 98% ID coverage didn’t emerge from broadband alone, but from community registration drives respecting farmers’ harvest seasons. Nigeria’s 3MTT programme can catalyze similar change—if it trains village youth as tech ambassadors.
The cost of exclusion is measured in lost dignity and GDP. As broadband pioneer Gbenga Adebayo warns: Every 10% connectivity boost lifts GDP 2.5%. But beyond economics lies ethics—a nation cannot digitize while leaving 40% of its rural citizens in the dark.
The bridge starts here: With towers that rise in Ehor before Enugu. With enrollment vans reaching Baba Adefemi’s farm. With POS devices that work without tree-climbing. Only then will “digital Nigeria” include every citizen—visible, verified, and valued.
