- The Independent National Electoral Commission confirmed that 1,228,648 Nigerians had completed registration by Week Six of Phase II, marking a sharp rise from the previous week
- Women accounted for 57 per cent of new registrants, while citizens aged 18–34 made up over 69 per cent, reflecting strong youth engagement in the electoral process
- Jigawa State recorded the highest number of new voters, followed by Lagos State and Sokoto State, as registration continued nationwide except in the Federal Capital Territory ahead of Area Council elections
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has recorded a significant rise in voter registrations under the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, with more than 1.2 million Nigerians completing the process in the second phase as of 13 February 2026.
In an official update posted on its X (formerly Twitter) handle on Thursday, INEC disclosed that a total of 1,228,648 eligible citizens had fully registered by the end of Phase II, Week Six. The figure represents a marked increase from the 884,737 registrants recorded at the close of Week Five, underscoring growing public participation in the exercise.
According to the commission, 673,124 prospective voters initiated their registration through the online pre-registration portal, while 555,524 completed the process physically at designated registration centres nationwide. The data reflects a blend of digital and in-person engagement as the electoral body continues efforts to expand and update the national voters’ register.
A breakdown by state indicates that Jigawa recorded the highest number of new registrants during the period under review, with 98,698 voters, accounting for 8.03 per cent of the total. Lagos followed with 86,307 registrants, while Sokoto and Kano recorded 77,004 and 71,990 new voters respectively.
Gender distribution figures released by INEC show that women constitute the majority of newly registered voters. Of the 1,228,648 completed registrations, 696,891 (57 per cent) were female, while 531,757 (43 per cent) were male. Youth participation also remains notably high, with individuals aged between 18 and 34 accounting for 848,066 registrants — representing 69.02 per cent of the total.
The commission further reported that 19,414 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) had successfully registered nationwide, reflecting ongoing efforts to ensure inclusivity in the electoral process.
INEC confirmed that the CVR exercise is continuing across the country, except in the Federal Capital Territory, where it has been temporarily suspended in compliance with the Electoral Act ahead of the 21 February 2026 Area Council elections.
Phase II of the CVR commenced on 5 January 2026 and is scheduled to run until April 2026. It builds on the gains of Phase I, which ran from August to December 2025 and resulted in the addition of approximately 2.78 million voters to the national register.
The sustained rise in registrations signals heightened civic engagement as Nigeria prepares for forthcoming electoral activities.