> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.lumiid.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.lumiid.com/api-integration/government-verification/nin-verification-api-or-nigerian-national-id-lookup.md).

# NIN Verification API | Nigerian National ID Lookup

Verify a customer's Nigerian National Identification Number (NIN) with the LumiID **NIN Verification API**. Retrieve verified identity data for KYC, customer onboarding, compliance, and fraud prevention.

Submit an 11-digit NIN to validate identity information. Choose **Basic** or **Premium** verification based on your required level of due diligence.

***

## Overview

|                        |                                                |
| ---------------------- | ---------------------------------------------- |
| **Country**            | 🇳🇬 Nigeria                                   |
| **Data Source**        | National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) |
| **Verification Tiers** | Basic • Premium                                |
| **NIN Format**         | 11-digit numeric                               |
| **Typical Latency**    | < 2 seconds                                    |
| **Sandbox**            | Supported                                      |
| **Compliance**         | NDPR Compliant                                 |

***

## Available Endpoints

| Endpoint                       | Description                                                                  |
| ------------------------------ | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **POST** `/v1/ng/nin-basic/`   | Verify a NIN and retrieve core identity information.                         |
| **POST** `/v1/ng/nin-premium/` | Retrieve the complete NIMC identity profile for enhanced KYC and compliance. |

***

## Verification Tiers

### Basic Verification

Designed for standard customer onboarding and identity verification.

Returns:

* Full name
* Date of birth
* Gender
* Registered phone number
* Residential address
* Biometric photo (Base64)
* Identity verification status

Ideal for:

* Customer onboarding
* KYC verification
* Face comparison
* Liveness verification
* Identity confirmation

***

### Premium Verification

Includes everything returned in **Basic**, plus additional demographic and regulatory information required for enhanced due diligence (EDD).

Additional fields include:

* Email address
* Profession
* Employment status
* Marital status
* Religion
* Spoken language
* Birth state and country
* State and LGA of origin
* Next-of-kin (masked)
* Signature (Base64)
* NIMC tracking ID

Recommended for:

* Banks
* Fintechs
* Lending platforms
* Government services
* Enterprise KYC
* Regulatory compliance

***

## Tier Comparison

| Identity Data         | Basic | Premium |
| --------------------- | :---: | :-----: |
| Full name             |   ✓   |    ✓    |
| Gender                |   ✓   |    ✓    |
| Date of birth         |   ✓   |    ✓    |
| Phone number          |   ✓   |    ✓    |
| Residential address   |   ✓   |    ✓    |
| Biometric photo       |   ✓   |    ✓    |
| Email address         |   —   |    ✓    |
| Profession            |   —   |    ✓    |
| Employment status     |   —   |    ✓    |
| Marital status        |   —   |    ✓    |
| Religion              |   —   |    ✓    |
| Spoken language       |   —   |    ✓    |
| Birth state & country |   —   |    ✓    |
| State & LGA of origin |   —   |    ✓    |
| Next-of-kin (masked)  |   —   |    ✓    |
| Signature             |   —   |    ✓    |
| Tracking ID           |   —   |    ✓    |

***

## Basic NIN Verification

**POST**

```http
{{baseUrl}}/v1/ng/nin-basic/
```

***

### Headers

| Header        | Description              |
| ------------- | ------------------------ |
| Authorization | `Bearer YOUR_SECRET_KEY` |
| Content-Type  | `application/json`       |

***

### Request Body

| Field | Type   | Required | Description                                             |
| ----- | ------ | -------- | ------------------------------------------------------- |
| `nin` | string | ✅        | The customer's 11-digit National Identification Number. |

Example

```json
{
    "nin":"89184072280"
}
```

***

## Successful Response

```json
{
  "success": true,
  "code": "NIN_VERIFIED",
  "message": "NIN verification successful",
  "verification_type": "NIN",
  "summary": {
    "verified": true,
    "verification_type": "NIN",
    "provider": "LumiID",
    "confidence_score": 1.0
  },
  "data": {
    "nin": "89184072280",
    "firstname": "TERHEMBA",
    "lastname": "JUDE",
    "middlename": "",
    "phone": "08000000000",
    "gender": "m",
    "birthdate": "06-01-1974",
    "photo": "/9j/4AAQSkZJRgABAgAAAQABAAD...",
    "residence": {
      "address1": "8637 Larkin Ports",
      "town": "Abuja",
      "lga": "Abuja Municipal",
      "state": "FCT Abuja"
    }
  },
  "meta": {
    "request_id": "req_a3f9c21d9b4e",
    "timestamp": "2026-03-19T08:14:22.445821Z"
  }
}
```

***

## Basic Response Fields

### Top-Level Response

| Field               | Type    | Description                                                |
| ------------------- | ------- | ---------------------------------------------------------- |
| `success`           | boolean | Indicates whether the verification completed successfully. |
| `code`              | string  | Machine-readable response code.                            |
| `message`           | string  | Human-readable response message.                           |
| `verification_type` | string  | Always `NIN`.                                              |
| `summary`           | object  | Verification summary.                                      |
| `data`              | object  | Verified NIMC identity record.                             |
| `meta.request_id`   | string  | Unique request identifier.                                 |
| `meta.timestamp`    | string  | ISO 8601 timestamp.                                        |

***

### `data`

| Field                | Description                             |
| -------------------- | --------------------------------------- |
| `nin`                | Verified National Identification Number |
| `firstname`          | First name                              |
| `lastname`           | Last name                               |
| `middlename`         | Middle name                             |
| `phone`              | Registered phone number                 |
| `gender`             | Gender                                  |
| `birthdate`          | Date of birth                           |
| `photo`              | Base64-encoded biometric photograph     |
| `residence.address1` | Residential address                     |
| `residence.town`     | Town                                    |
| `residence.lga`      | Local Government Area                   |
| `residence.state`    | State                                   |

***

## Premium NIN Verification

**POST**

```http
{{baseUrl}}/v1/ng/nin-premium/
```

Returns the complete NIMC identity profile for enhanced customer due diligence and regulatory compliance.

***

### Additional Response Fields

The Premium endpoint returns **all Basic fields**, plus:

| Field               | Description                     |
| ------------------- | ------------------------------- |
| `title`             | Customer title                  |
| `email`             | Registered email address        |
| `profession`        | Profession                      |
| `employment_status` | Employment status               |
| `marital_status`    | Marital status                  |
| `birth_state`       | State of birth                  |
| `birth_country`     | Country of birth                |
| `state_of_origin`   | State of origin                 |
| `lga_of_origin`     | Local Government Area of origin |
| `religion`          | Religion                        |
| `nspokenlang`       | Primary spoken language         |
| `next_of_kin`       | Masked next-of-kin information  |
| `signature`         | Base64-encoded signature        |
| `tracking_id`       | NIMC tracking identifier        |

Example:

```json
{
  "data": {
    "title": "mr",
    "email": "example@gmail.com",
    "profession": "ENGINEER",
    "marital_status": "single",
    "employment_status": "employed",
    "birth_state": "FCT",
    "birth_country": "Nigeria",
    "state_of_origin": "FCT",
    "lga_of_origin": "Kabu",
    "religion": "islam",
    "nspokenlang": "ESAN",
    "next_of_kin": {
      "firstname": "****",
      "lastname": "****",
      "address1": "****",
      "state": "****"
    },
    "signature": "base64==",
    "tracking_id": "S000000000000000"
  }
}
```

***

## Error Codes

| HTTP    | Code                      | Resolution                                                                   |
| ------- | ------------------------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| **400** | `NIN_VERIFICATION_FAILED` | Verification failed. Retry once before contacting support.                   |
| **400** | `NIN_NOT_FOUND`           | No record exists for the supplied NIN. Ensure it contains exactly 11 digits. |
| **401** | `INVALID_API_KEY`         | Verify your API credentials.                                                 |
| **401** | `UNAPPROVED_ORGANIZATION` | Complete organization approval before using the Production API.              |
| **401** | `SUBSCRIPTION_REQUIRED`   | Enable NIN Verification from the LumiID Console.                             |
| **402** | `INSUFFICIENT_FUNDS`      | Fund your LumiID wallet before retrying.                                     |
| **500** | `SERVER_ERROR`            | Unexpected internal error. Retry once.                                       |
| **503** | `SERVICE_UNAVAILABLE`     | The NIMC service is temporarily unavailable. Retry with exponential backoff. |
| **504** | `TIMEOUT`                 | The request timed out. Retry after a short delay.                            |

***

## Security & Compliance

* All identity records are retrieved directly from the **National Identity Management Commission (NIMC)**.
* All API requests must use **HTTPS**.
* Every verification request includes a unique `request_id` for auditing and support.
* Sensitive information must be processed in accordance with the **Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA)** and applicable privacy regulations.
* Premium fields such as **religion** and **next\_of\_kin** should only be collected where there is a lawful basis.

***

## Recommended Identity Verification Flow

For the highest level of assurance during onboarding, LumiID recommends the following workflow:

1. Verify the customer's **NIN**.
2. Perform a **Liveness Check** using the customer's selfie.
3. Compare the selfie with the NIMC biometric photo using the **Face Comparison API**.
4. Continue onboarding only after all verification checks succeed.

This workflow helps detect identity fraud, impersonation, and presentation attacks while meeting modern KYC and AML requirements.

***

### NIN verification FAQ

#### What is a NIN?

A NIN is Nigeria's 11-digit National Identification Number. It identifies an individual in national identity records.

#### Which organization maintains NIN records?

The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC) manages Nigeria's NIN identity records.

#### Can I use the NIN Verification API for KYC onboarding?

Yes. Use it to validate customer identity during KYC and compliance workflows.

#### Which NIN verification tier should I use?

Use Basic for standard identity checks. Use Premium when enhanced due diligence requires additional identity data.

***

## Example (Python)

```python
import requests

url = "https://api.lumiid.com/v1/ng/nin-basic/"

headers = {
    "Authorization": "Bearer YOUR_SECRET_KEY",
    "Content-Type": "application/json"
}

payload = {
    "nin": "89184072280"
}

response = requests.post(
    url,
    json=payload,
    headers=headers
)

print(response.json())
```


---

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