The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) initiated its nationwide Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise on Monday, August 18, beginning with an online pre-registration phase. Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC Chairman, underscored the exercise's critical role in fostering active participation in forthcoming elections. The CVR is designed to enable already registered voters to update their personal information or seamlessly transfer their voter records to new locations.

INEC has also enhanced its CVR portal with new functionalities, allowing voters to conveniently check the status of their voter cards, pinpoint their designated pickup centers, and for first-time registrants, easily locate the nearest registration centers. Chairman Yakubu emphasized the significance of the Permanent Voter Card (PVC), stating, "Your PVC is your key to making your voice heard in our democratic process. We urge every eligible voter to seize this opportunity to register, update their information, collect their PVCs, and actively participate in shaping their future." He further noted that the exercise would also facilitate the registration of new voters at designated points.

Within the initial seven hours of the CVR portal's launch, the exercise saw a significant uptake, with 69,376 prospective voters successfully pre-registering online. This rapid engagement was highlighted in a statement by Sam Olumekun, INEC's national commissioner and chairman of the information and voter education committee, who confirmed the portal went live at 8:30 a.m. on Monday, August 18, and by 3:30 p.m. had accumulated tens of thousands of entries.

An analysis of the initial registrants revealed distinct demographic trends: 33,803 (48.7 percent) were male, while 35,573 (51.3 percent) were female, indicating a slight female majority among early registrants. Furthermore, a substantial 48,033 registrants, accounting for 69.2 percent, belonged to the youth demographic, aged between 18 and 34. The online portal, accessible at https://cvr.inecnigeria.org, remains available 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

The in-person registration component of the CVR exercise is scheduled to commence on Monday, August 25, 2025, at 811 state and local government offices across the nation. These physical registration centers will operate from 9:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. on weekdays. This option caters to new registrants who prefer physical enrollment, as well as those who completed their pre-registration online and need to finalize their registration. Both online and in-person processes will run concurrently throughout the duration of the CVR.

INEC plans to provide weekly updates on the CVR, offering detailed breakdowns by State, gender, age, occupation, and disability. Olumekun reiterated that registration is strictly for citizens aged 18 and above who have not previously registered, issuing a stern warning that "double or multiple registration is a violation of the law." However, the exercise does permit the transfer of voter registration both within and across states, as well as the replacement of lost or damaged voter cards.