INEC registers 2.4 million voters as Kano leads nationwide CVR exercise

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has revealed that 2,436,275 Nigerians have successfully completed the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise as of July 10, 2026, with 823,324 applicants registering online and 1,612,951 completing their physical registration at its centres nationwide.

The latest figures also show that Kano State recorded the highest number of completed registrations with 182,749, followed by Edo with 121,554 and Lagos with 114,983.

The commission, in its Week Nine update on the nationwide CVR exercise, said women continued to outnumber men among new registrants, accounting for 1,282,831 registrations (52.65 per cent), while 1,153,444 men (47.35 per cent) completed the registration process.

According to the data, young people remained the largest group of registrants, with 1,682,962 persons aged between 18 and 34 years, representing 69.08 per cent of all completed registrations.

INEC also reported that 1,210,624 students, representing 49.69 per cent of registrants, successfully completed the exercise, while 8,326 persons with disabilities were registered during the period.

The commission further disclosed that 252,911 applications for transfer of voter registration had been processed, alongside 91,830 requests for replacement of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) and 50,091 applications for correction of personal information.

A state-by-state breakdown showed Kano maintaining a significant lead in completed registrations, while Edo and Lagos occupied the second and third positions respectively.

Other states with high registration figures included Delta, Taraba and Sokoto, reflecting sustained participation across the country.

The ongoing Continuous Voter Registration exercise is expected to provide eligible Nigerians who have attained voting age, changed residence or require updates to their voter records the opportunity to participate in future elections.

INEC has continued to encourage all eligible citizens yet to register or update their details to do so before the exercise concludes.

On July 3, INEC extended the nationwide Continuous Voter Registration exercise by two weeks and introduced an online self-service option for eligible first-time voters.

National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna said the decision followed a review of the ongoing exercise and feedback from state offices, political parties, civil society organisations, and other stakeholders.

The third phase of nationwide CVR commenced on August 18, 2025 and was earlier scheduled to end on July 10, 2026.

INEC extended it to Friday, July 24, 2026 to give more eligible citizens opportunity to register ahead of future elections.

In what INEC described as part of its commitment to innovation and accessibility, the Commission also rolled out a self-service online registration portal for first-time voters from Wednesday, July 8, 2026.