New NIMC Act Positions Nigeria for Trusted, Inclusive Digital Identity System- DG
Oru Leonard
The National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), and the Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE) have highlighted the potential of the newly enacted NIMC Act 2026 to transform Nigeria’s digital identity landscape and build a more trusted, inclusive and secure identity system.
The position was made known on Monday in Abuja at a roundtable workshop organised by NIMC and ACOE, with the theme, “The New NIMC Act: Building Trust, Enabling Services, Transforming Nigeria.”
The engagement brought together NIMC officials, development partners and members of the online media to examine the significance of the new law, NIMC’s ongoing reforms and the role of the media in creating public understanding and confidence in the national identity system.
Representing the Director-General of NIMC, Engr. Abisoye Coker-Odusote, the Director, SERVICOM, Mrs. Florence Oloruntade, joined other senior officials at the event, including the Director of Public Relations, Dr. Kayode Adegoke.
The Project Director, Project Implementation Unit of the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project, Mrs. Tito Ejenavi, was represented by Mr. Seun Adebayo.
During his presentation, Dr. Alvan Ikoku, Director of Strategy and Programme Office at the National Identity Management Commission (NIMC), said the new NIMC Act 2026 marks a significant shift in Nigeria’s identity management system towards building a trusted digital identity and digital economy.
Speaking at the NIMC–Association of Corporate Online Editors (ACOE) roundtable workshop in Abuja, Ikoku explained that the NIN is intended to serve as the foundation for authenticating individuals across government and private-sector services, supporting the principle of “one person, one identity, one number.”
He said the new law strengthens NIMC’s role in establishing Nigeria’s digital trust infrastructure, including a National Root Certification Authority and Public Key Infrastructure for secure digital signatures, authentication and electronic transactions.
According to him, the framework could help reduce identity fraud, duplication and leakages while improving access to services such as banking, taxation, e-government, procurement, licensing, pensions and digital commerce.
Ikoku also stressed the importance of data protection, privacy and digital sovereignty, saying Nigeria must ensure that citizens’ personal information is securely managed as digital identity services expand.
Speaking at the event, the President of ACOE, Mr. Omosola Abugui, commended NIMC’s leadership and described the association’s partnership with the commission over the past four years as productive and impactful.
Abugui said the media had a critical responsibility to help Nigerians understand the reforms taking place within the national identity system and the benefits they could derive from a stronger digital identity infrastructure.
He noted that NIMC had expanded the National Identity Database to more than 136 million enrolments as of July 2026, describing the development as a major step towards achieving comprehensive identity coverage.
He also cited the introduction of NINAuth for secure digital identity verification, improved digital identity infrastructure, enhanced diaspora services and the expansion of enrolment nationwide as some of the major developments recorded by the commission.
According to him, the migration of telecommunications operators to NINAuth would further strengthen identity verification and help curb identity-related fraud.
He said the NIMC Act 2026, which was signed into law in June, had modernised the legal framework governing identity management and positioned NIMC as the Root Certification Authority for Nigeria’s Public Key Infrastructure and Digital Public Infrastructure.
Abugui added that the legislation strengthened data protection and cybersecurity while providing a framework capable of supporting financial inclusion, social services, government transactions and private-sector activities through digital identity.
Representing the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project, Adebayo said the project had worked with the Federal Government and NIMC since 2020 to establish a robust, inclusive and trusted foundational identity system.
He explained that reform of the legal framework became necessary because the previous NIMC Act of 2007 had become inadequate to address the demands of modern digital identity management.
According to him, the ID4D Project provided technical and financial assistance throughout the reform process, including diagnostic studies, stakeholder consultations, technical drafting, public hearings and international benchmarking.
He said consultations held in Abuja and Lagos in February 2024 allowed citizens, civil society organisations, financial institutions and media representatives to contribute to the process.
Adebayo said President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s assent to the NIMC Act 2026 on June 26 marked the culmination of years of consultations and legislative engagement.
“The Act clarifies eligibility, strengthens inclusion of vulnerable and marginalised persons, reinforces data protection and provides greater guarantees around the lawful use and disclosure of identity information,” he said.
He explained that the new legal framework would remove some of the structural constraints that previously affected the development of a comprehensive identity system.
He added that the new law would help accelerate enrolment, deepen inclusion and strengthen confidence in the national identity system.
Adebayo urged the media to focus not only on reporting the enactment of the law but also on explaining its practical implications to Nigerians.
He said citizens needed to understand how the new framework would provide stronger protection for their personal information, clearer rights relating to their identity and improved opportunities to access essential services.
He disclosed that the Nigeria Digital ID4D Project would continue supporting NIMC in expanding enrolment, integrating national identity with civil registration, modernising its systems and improving access for women, persons with disabilities and other underserved populations.
He said the project would also support the implementation of data protection and service-access provisions contained in the new legislation.
Meanwhile, NIMC’s Director of Public Relations, Dr. Kayode Adegoke, highlighted improvements in staff welfare and operational capacity, including a 25 per cent salary increase across the board, provision of laptops and iPads as working tools and functional staff buses.
Stakeholders at the roundtable agreed that effective implementation of the NIMC Act 2026, sustained public awareness and stronger collaboration between NIMC, development partners and the media would be critical to achieving a trusted and inclusive national identity system.
They expressed optimism that the new legal framework would strengthen Nigeria’s digital public infrastructure and enable more citizens to use their national identity to access essential public and private-sector services.
