The Federal Road Safety Corps has updated its policies to streamline driver’s licence applications, shifting major parts of the process online to reduce physical waiting times at registration offices.

Motorists, who nust be 18 years and above, can now begin the application process online and complete most of the steps using a smartphone.

How to apply for a driver’s licence online
Applicants can follow these steps:

1. Visit the official driver’s licence portal

Go to nigeriadriverslicence.org. If the website does not display properly on a mobile device, switch to “Desktop Site” mode in the browser settings.

2. Start a new application

Select DL Application, then choose New Driver’s License from the available options.

3. Enter your details

Provide your driving school certificate number and complete the required personal information.

Applicants should ensure that their name and other details correspond exactly with the information on their National Identification Number (NIN).

4. Choose a licence centre

Select your preferred FRSC Driver’s Licence Centre where your biometric information will be captured.

You will then need to book an appointment for the biometric process.

5. Make payment online

Payment is made through the Remita gateway on the official portal.

Available payment options include card, bank transfer and USSD.

Applicants should avoid making payments to individuals or agents outside the official payment platform.

6. Attend your biometric appointment

After completing payment, print your payment receipt and attend the appointment on the scheduled date.

Applicants should take their original documents with them for verification and biometric capture.

What you need before applying
Applicants must first attend an FRSC-accredited driving school and obtain a driving school certificate.

The certificate is required to proceed with the driver’s licence application.

Applicants will also need their NIN, a valid means of identification and a passport photograph.

Temporary licence while you wait
After completing the required stages, applicants can receive a temporary driver’s licence valid for 60 days while the permanent licence is being processed.

President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on Thursday swore in Mr. Abel Olumuyiwa Enitan as the new Head of Civil Service of the Federation, HoCSF, marking the commencement of his tenure as the nation’s Chief Administrative Officer.

The brief ceremony took place at the State House, Abuja.

Enitan succeeds Mrs. Didi Esther Walson-Jack, who retired after attaining the mandatory retirement age of 60. The former HoCSF attended the ceremony alongside her husband, Hon. Nimi Walson-Jack. Also present were the wife of the new HoCSF, Mrs. Olawunmi Ololade Enitan, and the Permanent Secretary, State House, Mr. Peter Fashedemi.

President Tinubu had announced Enitan’s appointment on August 19, 2026. He was the most senior Permanent Secretary at the time of his nomination.

Congratulating the new HoCSF, President Tinubu urged him to uphold the highest standards of professionalism, integrity, accountability and efficiency in the Nigerian Civil Service.

Mr. Enitan, born December 12, 1966, hails from Osun State. He holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Banking and Finance from the University of Lagos and a Master’s Degree in Public Policy Analysis from Nasarawa State University, Keffi.

He joined the Federal Civil Service in 1998 as a Senior Operations Officer at the then Family Economic Advancement Programme, FEAP.

He later served at the Ministry of Niger Delta Affairs and in the Office of the Vice President at the State House, where he rose from Chief Administrative Officer to Director between 2010 and 2018.

Appointed Permanent Secretary in December 2018, he served at the Federal Civil Service Commission and subsequently in the Ministries of Environment, Police Affairs, Humanitarian Affairs and Poverty Reduction, and Education before his elevation to Head of Service.

The aim for launching the Nigeria Alcohol Policy and its Multisectoral Implementation Plan (2026–2030), has been explained by the Federal government. Among others, it is aimed at reducing the health, social and economic consequences associated with harmful alcohol consumption in the country.

Broadly, the five-year plan has a national framework for the production, distribution, marketing and consumption of alcohol, all promoting responsible practices across the industry.

Unveiling this policy in Abuja on Thursday was the Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, who was represented at the event by the ministry’s Permanent Secretary, Daju Kachollom.

Pate said although the alcohol industry contributes to the economy through manufacturing, employment and agriculture, abuse of alcohol has consequences that go beyond the health sector.

He listed some of the consequences as reduced productivity, violence, injuries, mental health challenges and financial hardship, among others. In his words:

“Alcohol is part of that economic reality. It supports manufacturing, employment, agriculture and domestic value chains, while ethanol also has important pharmaceutical, laboratory and industrial uses.

“We must also confront the other side of that reality. Harmful alcohol use contributes to disease, injuries, violence, mental health challenges, financial hardship and loss of productivity.”

He said the policy was also aligned with Nigeria’s national, continental and global commitments to reducing the harmful use of alcohol.

He cited the African Union’s Agenda 2063, the Sustainable Development Goals, particularly Goals 3, 8, 9 and 11, as well as relevant World Health Organisation frameworks on reducing alcohol-related harm.

Pate said WHO data showed that total alcohol consumption in Nigeria stood at 3.2 litres of pure alcohol per person aged 15 years and above in 2024.

He also linked alcohol consumption to road traffic crashes, noting that the Federal Road Safety Corps recorded 9,570 crashes and 5,421 deaths nationwide in 2024, with driving under the influence of alcohol identified as one of the contributing factors.

On implementation, Pate said the government would monitor compliance across the alcohol value chain, the level of illicit and unrecorded alcohol, access to care for people affected by alcohol-related disorders, and reductions in alcohol-related illnesses, injuries and deaths.

“Our objective, therefore, is not simply to have a national alcohol policy on paper by 2030. It is to have a policy that has translated into healthier people, safer communities, more responsible industry practices and stronger institutions,” he said.

The Director-General of the National Agency for Food and Drug Administration and Control, NAFDAC, Prof. Mojisola Adeyeye, who also attended the launch, said the policy was anchored in Nigeria’s broader health and socio-economic reform agenda.

Adeyeye said the policy reinforced Nigeria’s commitment to the SDGs, particularly those relating to good health and well-being, sustainable industry, and safe and resilient communities.

She, however, stressed the government’s commitment to protecting consumers, particularly underage persons and other vulnerable groups, while promoting responsible practices across relevant industries.

The policy is expected to provide a coordinated framework for government agencies and other stakeholders to tackle harmful alcohol use.