By Our Correspondent
National News – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has recorded 3,441,121 completed registrations in the second phase of Nigeria’s Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, highlighting a strong nationwide turnout by eligible citizens preparing for future elections.
The electoral body announced the update on Wednesday, April 8, 2026, in Abuja, noting that the figures represent registrations captured up to April 3 through both online pre-registration and physical walk-in processes across the country.
According to INEC’s Week 13 registration update, 2,068,384 Nigerians completed their pre-registration online, while 1,372,737 citizens registered physically at designated registration centres.
The commission explained that the combined figure represents preliminary data and may change after the claims and objections process and verification using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
The registration statistics also revealed that Jigawa State recorded the highest number of new voters with 201,047 registrations, representing 5.84 percent of the total.
Lagos State followed with 181,095 registrants, while Kano State ranked third with 177,681 registrations.
Youth participation dominated the exercise, with 2,354,768 voters aged between 18 and 34, accounting for 68.43 percent of the new registrations.
The figures underscore the growing involvement of young Nigerians in the country’s electoral process and civic participation.
Gender distribution also showed female registrants leading the numbers, with 1,922,143 women, representing 55.86 percent of the new voters, while 1,518,978 men accounted for 44.14 percent.
Further analysis of occupational data indicated that students formed the largest category of new registrants, with 1,235,931 voters (35.92 percent).
They were followed by business operators with 701,912 registrations (20.40 percent) and those engaged in farming and fishing with 615,967 registrants (18.28 percent).
INEC also reported that 48,330 Persons with Disabilities (PWDs) successfully registered during the exercise, reflecting efforts to make voter registration more inclusive.
However, the commission noted that voter registration remains temporarily suspended in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) due to the Area Council elections held on February 21, 2026, in compliance with Section 9(6) of the Electoral Act 2022.
INEC urged eligible Nigerians who are yet to register to complete the process through its official CVR online portals or at designated registration centres nationwide.
