Nigeria’s young people and women are powering a surge in voter registration as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) confirmed more than 3.5 million sign-ups in just three weeks of its Continuous Voter Registration (CVR).
Figures released on Monday show that of the 3,544,850 online pre-registrations recorded since August 18, youths aged 18–34 account for nearly two-thirds (64.65%), while women make up 51.76%. Students alone contributed almost a quarter of the total.
Physical registration, which began August 25, has also attracted nearly 289,000 Nigerians, again dominated by young people and women.
INEC hailed the enthusiasm but cautioned against underage registration, stressing that pre-registration must be completed with biometric capture at its centres.
Analysts say the surge is a strong signal of political awakening among Nigeria’s youth ahead of the 2027 general elections, potentially reshaping the country’s voter map.
