The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced a response to the commencement of its nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), with 69,376 Nigerians pre-registering online within just seven hours of the exercise.
According to a statement signed by Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, the online registration portal went live at 8:30 am on Monday, August 18, 2025. By 3:30 pm, the platform had already recorded tens of thousands of applicants.
Of the total figure, 33,803 (48.7%) are male, while 35,573 (51.3%) are female. A breakdown by age shows that young Nigerians between 18 and 34 years accounted for the majority, with 48,033 registrations, representing 69.2% of the total.
The Commission emphasized that the online portal—https://cvr.inecnigeria.org—is available to Nigerians 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
INEC also revealed that the physical or in-person registration option is scheduled to begin on Monday, August 25, 2025. The exercise will hold in all 811 state and local government offices across the country between 9:00 am and 3:00 pm on weekdays.
This option will cater to individuals who prefer to register in person, as well as those who began the process online and are required to complete it physically. Both the online and in-person options will run simultaneously throughout the registration period.
Starting next week, the Commission will provide weekly updates on the CVR, with detailed breakdowns by state, gender, age, occupation, and disability status.
INEC further stressed that voter registration is strictly open to Nigerian citizens who are at least 18 years old and who have not previously registered. The Commission warned that double or multiple registration is prohibited by law. However, eligible voters may apply for transfers of registration between states or within the same state, as well as replacement of lost or damaged Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs).
“The impressive turnout in the first few hours of the exercise shows Nigerians are eager to participate in the democratic process. We urge all eligible citizens to take advantage of the CVR to register, transfer, or update their voter information ahead of future elections,” the statement added.