The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the ongoing Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise by an additional two weeks and unveiled a new online self-service registration platform for first-time voters.

The commission announced this in a statement on Friday, explaining that the exercise, which commenced on August 18, 2025, and was initially scheduled to end on July 10, 2026, will now close on Friday, July 24, 2026.

According to INEC, the decision followed a review of the exercise and consultations with its state offices, political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders.

The commission said the extension is intended to provide more eligible Nigerians who are yet to register with an opportunity to be included in the National Register of Voters ahead of future elections.

As part of efforts to improve voter registration through technology, INEC also announced that it will introduce a fully online self-service registration platform for first-time voters from Wednesday, July 8, 2026.

The service will be available through the commission’s dedicated portal, cvr.inecnigeria.org, allowing eligible Nigerians to complete their voter registration, including biometric capture, using their personal devices from any location without visiting an INEC office.

INEC stated that the platform is equipped with robust identity verification, biometric validation and backend security checks to safeguard the integrity of the National Register of Voters.

“The extension underscores the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that every eligible Nigerian has a fair and reasonable opportunity to be included in the Register of Voters,” the commission said.

It urged all eligible but unregistered citizens to take advantage of both the extended registration period and the newly introduced digital registration option.

INEC reaffirmed its commitment to delivering a credible, inclusive and accessible voter registration process while leveraging technology to improve citizens’ participation in Nigeria’s electoral process.